Sardar Vs Netaji
Raj Mohan Gandhi’s biography of Sardar Vallabh bhai Patel titled “Sardar” is a rare gem which should be on everyone’s mandatory reading list. The author’s remarkable erudition and obvious love for his subject shine brightly throughout the work. Out of the numerous interesting threads present in the narrative, one is the contrast that the author has painted while portraying Sardar Vallabh bhai Patel’s magnanimous selflessness against his elder brother Vitthal bhai’s rather pedestrian selfishness. Sardar Vallabh bhai Patel had this dream of becoming a barrister from London. For this purpose he painstakingly pinched pennies to save enough. However he sacrificed his hard won admission in favour of his elder brother who happened to possess identical initials. Vitthal bhai went on to become a barrister whereas Sardar Vallabh bhai Patel reverted back to his tenacious penny pinching and once again saved enough to go to London and study law and finally return as a barrister about a decade later
