Let us know how their last days were spent. How many times did he meet Jawaharlal Nehru in the last one and a half months. How the dialogue was exchanged.
In this regard, Rajmohan Gandhi has written in detail in his book “Patel a Life”. It was written in the book that in the last week of October, Sardar Patel was in Ahmedabad. He stayed there for the whole 05 days. Celebrated his 75th birthday right there. There were many programs on this occasion. On November 02, he returned to Delhi. As soon as he started fighting on the question of Tibet. Actually, Tibet had requested diplomatic help from India on 30 October 1950. China had entered their country. On November 4, the newspapers said that China occupied Tibet.
Wrote a letter to NehruThree days later Patel sent a letter to Nehru. He told Purshottam Das to Tandon about this, “I hope I will confront Nehru on foreign policy.” He looked aggressive on this.
On 09 November, he released a book on Delhi Swami Dayanand, saying, “He casts off the clouds of skepticism hovering over Hinduism and has made it as bright as the Sun.”“Patel said something special about Tibet,” a peaceful country was captured, and now he is hardly left. We did not think that this would happen … but China did not listen to us … Tibet was a country with religious trends. No aggression was ever shown from Tibet. But when someone has been addicted to power, he realizes what he is doing. “
Patel was angered by China’s incursion and occupation of Tibet. He was in a mood to confront Nehru with foreign policy, but when his health started deteriorating, he changed his mind.
Patel’s health started falling fast
Only then suddenly Patel’s health began to decline. Then the confrontation between him and Nehru on foreign policy, which was being speculated, stopped at the same place. His secretary Shankar realized that he was forgetting things. His daughter Maniben, who lives with him, notices, now he is unable to hear the said words with a light voice. They are having trouble sleeping. The pulse has intensified. Weak heart and more pain in intestines.
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He could not bear the burden of work even at the slightest. Most stayed in bed. Now he was avoiding giving any message to anyone. He stopped his morning walk.
Then it started to be discussed that perhaps Nehru wanted a cabinet panel, which is equivalent to the Committee on Foreign Affairs and which would consider some questions emerging about the Princeley State. Patel was saddened by this. After this, another report came that secretaries could be interchanged, this also worried Patel about what would be the future of Menon and Shankar. However, his suspicion was neither baseless nor completely correct.
Nehru went to meet him on 23 November. Patel then told him that when he was working with his strength and ability, he felt that his confidence was diminishing in him. Nehru politely responded to this. Which shows their own mood.
Told Nehru – I want to talk alone
Despite the illness and the stems from it, Patel sent a handwritten birthday greeting letter to Nehru himself on 14 November. On 23 November, when Nehru came to his residence at 01, Aurangzeb Road in Delhi, Patel fearlessly told him, I wanted to talk to you alone that whenever I got a little strength and I was able to withstand the pressures, then you Were losing faith.
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Nehru smiled and said, I am losing confidence in myself. Nehru made this comment politely. Nehru knew that his breakup was going to weaken.
Blood stains seen on the bed
On November 21, Maniben saw blood stains on Patel’s bed. A nurse was arranged for immediate night and day service. In a few nights Patel was put on oxygen. Sushila Nayar also came to help the doctors. Though there was tension between Sushila and Maniben, which Patel was aware of, he asked Sushila one afternoon, whether the two of you women are getting upset.
Maniben heard this and her eyes became wet. But she was harsh towards those who met Patel. They had banned him or restricted his arrival. However, Rajendra Prasad, Rajagopalachari, Nehru and Azad Milda kept coming for advice. In this last quarter of 1950, Patel’s bitterness with Maulana Azad was over. A better harmony was visible between them. In fact, Patel believed that Maulana was responsible for what had happened in the election of Tandon’s presidency, due to which Nehru jumped into that fight.
Patel began to feel that he would not survive. They were also beginning to express it.
They began to feel that the end was near
On December 05, he began to feel that his end was near. That night Maniben heard them repeatedly muttering this lion of Nazir, “Zindagi Kya Yeh Tamasha Chand Rose”. On 06 December, President Prasad sat with him for 10 minutes. But Patel was so sick that he was not in a position to say anything. On December 08, when Bengal Chief Minister BC Rai came to see him, Patel asked him, “I have to go.” Rai himself was a well-known doctor. He immediately told Patel, “If the case was to go, why would I come to see you?” But his confident words could not convince Patel.
After that, on that day and then the next day, he kept mumbling the same lines of Nazir. Also, this line of Kabir would have come on his tongue, “Man lago mero yar fakiri mein”. Maniben was shattered on hearing this but she did not react.
Then when Ghanshyam Birla came to him, he heard him say, “Open Mangal Mandir Dayamay”. Maniben told him, “What I was afraid of, I think the day is coming”. A few drops fell from his eyes.
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His personal doctors decided to take him to Mumbai
On December 10, when his personal doctor, Dr. Nathubhai Patel, made preparations to give him injections, Patel immediately refused, this upset my stomach. Nathubhai and Doctor Guilder had come from Mumbai. He was accompanied by a doctor who saw Patel in Delhi. His condition seemed to deteriorate continuously. Then the doctors decided to take him there due to better weather in Mumbai.
One night before leaving, Nehru was told this. He told Vallabhbhai, we have many things to do but you have no need to worry. Just take care of yourself and get well soon and return. Earlier, Patel told Gadgil, “Now I am not going to live long, make a promise to me, when Gadgil said yes, then he held his friend’s hand and said, no matter the situation and differences but staying with the Pandit, they Do not leave.
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel with his daughter Maniben, she continued to serve him till the last time. Maniben remained active in politics for a long time after her father’s death, but later left the Congress. When the 1977 elections were held, she joined the Janata Party.
Nehru, Prasad come to drop him at the airport
On 12 December, he was in a wheelchair when the Airforce was being taken away by aircraft. They came to leave Nehru, Prasad, Gopalachari, Gadgil, Ghanshyam Das and Menon. When his chair in the airplane reached up, he turned around and shook everyone. There was a sad smile on his face. Both the doctor and Maniben accompanied him to the ship.
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His suffering was not seen from his daughter
This time, leaving Patel, Nehru and all his companions were emotional. Air travel was long. Patel got irritated in this. Morarji Desai and other leaders had come to receive him at the airport in Mumbai, but there was not enough strength inside Patel to meet him or shake his hand. He was taken to Birla House. Where they were kept on oxygen. Nurses were already present. His condition was not improving. He was constantly moaning and suffering.
His suffering from Maniben was not being seen. She was praying to God, “Improve his condition, but if you do not have this desire, please take him to your shelter soon.”
Last day of life
December 15 was the last day of his life. He had a heart attack at 03.00 am. The consciousness is gone. Four hours later, he regained consciousness. They asked for water. Maniben fed with a spoon. He said, it looks sweet. Maniben mixed them with honey and gave them Ganges water. After this, he lost consciousness again.
He breathed his last at 09.37 am. Then son Dahyabhai, daughter-in-law Pandora, grandson Bipin were present near his bed. Also some people of Birla family along with Secretary Shankar. In this way, the life journey of Sardar Patel came to an end here.