Governor Banwarilal Purohit said Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s exhortation to civil service probationers to maintain impartiality and incorruptibility of administration is as relevant today as it was then.
“Sardar Patel was a strong proponent of the All India Services. His intervention was key to the inclusion of two Articles in the Constitution that protected civil servants from political interference and guaranteed their terms and privileges. He was also instrumental in the founding of the Indian Administrative Service and the Indian Police Service and hence he is known as the “patron saint” of India’s civil services,” the Governor said, speaking at the 144th birth anniversary celebrations of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, organised by the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Memorial Trust and Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Chennai Kendra. He also urged the public to co-operate with the Prime Minister in his efforts to curb corruption.
In his presidential address, N. Ravi, Chairman, Bhavan’s Chennai Kendra and publisher, The Hindu Group, said Sardar Patel formed part of the trinity that also comprised Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru, who led the final phase of the freedom struggle and oversaw the transition to an independent nation. “Sardar Patel and Nehru had utmost respect for one another, despite difference in outlook and views,” he said.
M.K. Narayanan, Former Governor of West Bengal, said Sardar Patel was both a leader and disciple. S. Gurumurthy, Editor, Thuglak , said Patel took huge efforts to bring political unity in India.
At the event prizes were distributed to 68 students who participated in an inter-school oratorical competition.
