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Vithalbhai Patel

(1873 – 1933) – (Gujarart)

Vithalbhai Patel (Aged 60), born on 27 September 1873, was an Indian legislator and political leader, co-founder of the Swaraj Party, and elder brother of Sardar Patel. He educated himself in Nadiad and Bombay and worked as a pleader (a junior lawyer) in the courts of Godhra and Borsad. At a very young age, he was married to a girl from another village, Diwaliba.

His younger brother, Vallabhbhai Patel, had similarly studied by himself and worked as a pleader. Studying in England was a dream for both men. Vallabhbhai had saved enough money and ordered his passport and travel tickets when the postman delivered them to Vithalbhai, it having been addressed to a Mr. V.J. Patel, Pleader. Vithalbhai insisted on traveling on those documents actually meant for Vallabhbhai, pointing out that it would be socially criticized that an older brother followed the lead of the younger. Respecting his brother despite the obvious cruelty of fate on his own hard work, Vallabhbhai allowed him to proceed to England and even paid for his stay.

Although he never truly accepted the philosophy and leadership of Mahatma Gandhi, Patel joined the Congress and the struggle for freedom. He had no regional base of support, yet he was an influential leader who expanded the struggle through fiery speeches and published articles. When Mahatma Gandhi aborted the struggle in 1922 following the Chauri Chaura incident, Patel left the Congress to form the Swaraj Party with Chittaranjan Das and Motilal Nehru, which would seek to foil the Raj by sabotaging the government after gaining entry into the councils.

Patel’s health worsened in Europe. As his last political act, Patel signed a statement written by Bose that proclaimed Gandhi as a failed leader and called for a militant form of non-cooperation. He passed away on 22 October 1933.