Historical Figures

49. Sardar Patel's heart cried seeing the plight of the farmers of Bihar.

After visiting Karnataka, Sardar Patel visited Bihar for 15 days. During this he addressed the district conferences organized in Sitamarhi, Munger, Champaran and Gaya. When the people of Bihar came to know that Sardar Patel had come, people from far and wide started coming to listen to him. The condition of the farmers of Bihar was worse than that of the farmers of Gujarat. The peasants of both the provinces were badly plundered and devastated during the period of Delhi Sultanate, during the period of Mughals and later rulers.

The East India Company had also left no stone unturned and was now being exploited by the British Crown. Vallabhbhai himself was the son of a farmer, so who else could understand the plight of the farmers more than him. Seeing the plight of the farmers of Bihar, Sardar Patel's heart cried. He called upon the farmers of Bihar to recognize their plight and unite and fight for their rights.

Don't be afraid of landlords. The farmer is the feeder of all, so he is the best, the best among those who consider themselves to be of the upper class. The speeches of the Sardar aroused new enthusiasm among the poor peasants, they were clamoring for their liberation but they did not know how to organize and how to fight. Sardar was explaining them both the ways. Sardar Patel saw a new thing in Bihar.

He saw that the way the purdah system has gripped Bihar, not so badly in other provinces of the country. He went from village to village and gave a message to the people that they should stop making veils from women. Do not keep women imprisoned in the boundary wall. These are our mothers, sisters, daughters and wives. Take cooperation from them in every work. Sardar had formed groups of women volunteers in the Bardoli movement, who had done amazing work.

Sardar had not yet forgotten that contribution of the Gujarati sisters. That's why he would tell the farmers of Bihar how women came forward and cooperated in Bardoli's movement and how due to the perseverance of women, the agitators of Bardoli remained on the front till the end and accepted with success.

The youth of Bihar were also looking at Sardar Patel with great hope. Sardar addressed the youth from place to place and gave them only one mantra that stop shouting slogans and get involved in work. Spend all your energy in doing the work you want to do.

If you want to bring revolution in the nation then bring revolution in your life. Sardar's fifteen-day tour generated a new revolution of hope in a backward state like Bihar and Bihar also agreed to contribute to the national movement.