Historical Figures

59. By selfless service, the iron chief became the chief of gold

Shortly after Sardar Patel's release from jail, plague broke out in 27 villages of Borsad tehsil. This area had already suffered this epidemic, but this time its threat was very strong. Hearing the name of the plague, the relatives also ran away leaving the sick to die. Sardar Patel was anticipating that the Ghori government would be as indifferent this time as before. That's why they formed teams of volunteers who would go from village to village to serve the people, cremate the dead and tell the villagers how to avoid and fight the plague.

The Sardar established a hospital in Borsad where the plague was treated. The Sardar himself would travel from village to village serving the sick and lead and conduct relief operations. Government servants did not even go to the villages for fear of plague. Only these volunteers were saving people by playing on their lives.

This selfless service made Sardar Patel shine like Kundan. The iron chief had now become a gold chief. Today it has been 79 years since this incident, but even today it can be said indisputably that if Patel and his volunteers had not fought the plague by playing on their lives, surely the lamps of thousands of houses would have been extinguished forever. Would have.

When Sardar's swayamsevaks started roaming from village to village and the Ghori government started scolding, the government issued a statement that some people are trying to combat the plague in private, this is never appropriate. A skilled doctor is required in this work and this work can be done only by the government health department. It is dangerous to do this work with immature knowledge.

On this Vallabhbhai gave a statement in the newspapers that the government should tell what it has done so far? Along with this, the Sardar also sent the details of the work done by his volunteers. An independent inquiry committee was set up by the citizens on this. This committee went to the villages to find out the truth and concluded that this epidemic spread due to the fault of the government.

The government department did nothing to prevent it and people kept dying. If Sardar Patel and his volunteers had not taken the front at the right time, I don't know what would have happened. Due to the service done by the volunteers of Sardar Patel, this epidemic has been eradicated. When this report was published in the newspapers, the Ghori government, which was already facing infamy, was further blown away and on the strength of selfless service, Iron Ka Sardar became Sone Ka Sardar