Vallabhbhai Patel was born on October 31 1875 at Nadiad in a typical peasant family of Gujarat. He passed the is District Pleader's Examination in 1900 and joined the legal profession at Godhra. Later, he became a barrister from the Middle Temple, practised at Ahmedabad bar and distinguished himself as a  criminal  lawyer. He made his debut  in  politics  by  joining in 1915 the Gujarat Sabha. The Godhra Session of Gujarat Sabha was presided over by Gandhiji in 1917. Vallabhbhai Patel was its Secretary. Thus began a long and fruitful association  between  the two.

In 1918 Vallabhbhai came to the rescue of the sufferers of a devastating famine and conducted, along with Gandhiji, the "'no-tax"  campaign  in  Kaira   district   for the suspension of  the  revenue  assessment. In  1919, he  organised  demonstrations against the Rowlatt Bills, sold proscribed literature and published  the  Sataygraha Patrika. When Mahatma  Gandhi  gave  the call  for   Non-cooperation,   Vallabhbhai joined the movement by giving up his lucrative practice at the bar. In 1923, he, along­ with his brother Vithalbhai, became involved in the Flag  Satyagraha  at  Nagpur. The same year he resisted the Bombay Government's levy of punitive tax on the people of Borsad and ultimately forced its withdrawal.

Elected President of the Ahmedabad Municipality in 1924, Vallabhbhai introduced Gujarati as the official language and Khadi as the uniform in the municipal establishment.  In  1928,  he  led  the  famous peasants' agitation against an increase in land revenue at Bardoliana won a signal victory. Acknowledging his able leadership, Gandhiji described  him  as the "Sardar". He later participated in the Civil Disobedience Movement and suffered imprisonment. In 1931, at the Karachi session, the Sardar was elected President of the Congress.

Declining the leadership of the Congress Ministry in Bombay, Sardar Patel became Chairman of the Congress Parliamentary Sub-Committee in 1936 and ably guided the functioning of the Congress  ministries in   various   provinces. An active participant in the Individual  Satyagraha  in  1940,  he joined  the "Quit India" movement in 1942 and was detained in Ahmednagar Fort and Yeravada Jail. A very able  negotiator,, he played a vital role in the discussions with Cripps in 1942, in the Simla  Conferenee  in 1945 and  during  the Cabinet Mission talks in 1946.

Joining the Interim Government in September 1946, Vallabhbhai became the Minister in charge of Home Affairs, Information and Broadcasting. In the disturbed months that followed it was his firm hand. more than anything else, that maintained order in the  country.  In  Independent  India, he became the Deputy Prime Minister arid looked after the Home and the States Departments.

The Sardar's finest hour was when he accomplished the integration of the Indian States with the Union. For him, integration meant  not  only  accession  by  the  rulers  but also transfer of their power to the people. India has been unified as never before, and the saga of this  achievement  has  passed into  history.

A stern realist and a great organiser, the Sardar was a man of iron will who never allowed  personal  sentiments  to interfere with his duties to the nation.  His  country was his first love and in the words of his daughter, 'To the last, he was thinking  of the nation'.

The Indian Posts and Telegraphs Department feels honoured to issue a special commemorative stamp on 31 October, 1975 on the occasion of birth centenary of Sardar Vallabhbhai  Patel.

Source : Information Folder issued by Indian Posts & Telegraph Department, Government of India