Statue of unity: A global landmark

• The statue of unity, befitting Sardar's stature, is set to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 31, Sardar's birth anniversary.

The Statue of Unity

• The visage of the country's first deputy PM, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, who was fondly called the 'Iron man of India,' now stands clad in bronze in the shape of the world's tallest statue (182 metres, twice the height of the Statue of Liberty) built at a project cost of Rs 2,979 crore on Sadhu Beyt.
• The breathtaking Statue Of Unity is set against the glistening basalt rocks of the Vindhya and Satpura hills of the Shoolpaneshwar Wildlife Sanctuary.
• The Statue of Unity is ambitious both in its scale and its design.
• The soaring structure will be complemented by an integrated complex housing a hotel, a memorial garden and a visitor centre, 3.5km away from the Sardar Sarovar Dam.
• It required complicated engineering, and a composite reinforcement to support the huge structure on a rocky outcrop in the middle of the Narmada river bed.
• The project website says that nearly 3 lakh soil samples were collected, along with 700 tonnes of iron in the form of donated farm equipment from across the country.

About Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel

• Vallabhbhai Patel (October 31, 1875 – December 15, 1950) was a political and social leader of India who played a major role in the country's struggle for independence and subsequently guided its integration into a united, independent nation.
• He was called the Iron Man of India, and was often addressed as Sardar which means "Chief" or "Leader" in many languages of India.
• Vallabhbhai Patel already had a successful practice as a lawyer when he was first inspired by the work and philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi.
• Patel subsequently organised the peasants of Kheda, Borsad, and Bardoli in Gujarat in a non-violent civil disobedience movement against oppressive policies imposed by the British Raj; in this role, he became one of the most influential leaders in Gujarat.
• He rose to the leadership of the Indian National Congress and was at the forefront of rebellions and political events, organising the party for elections in 1934 and 1937, and promoting the Quit India movement.
• As the first Home Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of India, Patel organised relief for refugees in Punjab and Delhi, and led efforts to restore peace across the nation.
• Patel took charge of the task to forge a united India from the 565 semi-autonomous princely states and British-era colonial provinces.
• Using frank diplomacy backed with the option (and the use) of military action, Patel's leadership enabled the accession of almost every princely state.
• Hailed as the Iron Man of India, he is also remembered as the "Patron Saint" of India's civil servants for establishing modern all-India services. Patel was also one of the earliest proponents of property rights and free enterprise in India.

Important Facts about Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel

• Kheda Satyagraha and Bardoli Satyagrah, both of which times the British bowed down.
• Elected as Ahmedabad's municipal president in 1924 and 1928.
• Elected President of the Indian National Congress in 1931.
• Independent India's first Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister and IB Minister.
• The Architect of United India post independence.
• Posthumously, conferred with Bharat Ratna in 1991.