SRINAGAR: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Monday said that Jammu Kashmir’s history “would have been entirely different” had Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel overseen its integration in 1947, as he joined the ‘Sardar@150 Unity March’ in Vadodara to highlight Patel’s role in shaping a cohesive Indian Union.
Addressing a gathering on “Kashmir, Hyderabad and Sardar”, Sinha emphasised Patel’s decisive leadership in integrating princely states, particularly Hyderabad, describing it as proof of his “clarity of purpose and firmness of action”. He asserted that Patel had opposed Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s approach towards Jammu Kashmir and resisted taking the issue to the United Nations, adding that Patel’s intervention could have significantly altered the region’s historical trajectory.
Sinha called Patel the “architect of modern India”, crediting him with instilling values of unity, equality and social justice that continue to underpin the country’s socio-political framework. He linked Patel’s legacy to present governance, stating that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was giving concrete shape to Patel’s vision, including through the abrogation of Article 370, which he said fulfilled the national resolve of “one flag, one constitution and one leader”.
The LG also highlighted several central initiatives—such as One Nation, One Tax; One Nation, One Ration Card; One Nation, One Health Card; One Nation, One Grid; the National Education Policy; PM Gati Shakti; and Kashi-Tamil Sangamam—as efforts to strengthen India’s institutional and cultural unity. Urging the youth to uphold shared values, identity and purpose, he said these pillars were essential for sustaining national progress.
The Sardar@150 Unity March, marking Sardar Patel’s 150th birth anniversary, drew participation from civil society groups, students and Patel’s descendants, with organisers describing it as an attempt to reconnect younger generations with India’s foundational narrative of integration and federal harmony.
