The city of Nadiad is situated on the map line connecting the two cities exactly halfway between Madavad and Vadodara, seventy-five miles. Vallabhbhai Patel was born in this city with winding streets and a population of twenty-five thousand, but we do not know the exact date. As he himself later admitted when he sat for his matriculation examination in 1897, 'the thirty-first day of October 1875 came to mind. I have to stutter when asked my age. When I have to swear, I always add the word approx.' He has said that. Vallabhbhai was the fourth child and fourth son of Ladba. According to the custom of that time, Ladba had come from his father-in-law's house for the funeral. Ladba's husband Zaverbhai was a native of Karamsad, a village twelve miles south of Nadiad and three miles west of Anand, and owned a ten-acre farm and a house. Somabhai, Narsinghbhai and Vitthalbhai were older than Vallabhbhai. Vallabhbhai was followed by his younger brother Kashibhai. Dahi or Dahiba was the only daughter and last child of Zaverbhai. Vallabhbhai's cousins and others in Karamsad used to call Zaverbhai 'Mota Kaka', so Vallabhbhai and his siblings also started calling him 'Mota Kaka' instead of 'Bapu'. Taking the example of his elder uncle, Vallabhbhai also fasted twice a month and did not even drink water during that time. Vallabhbhai was thin and stout. Being an intermediary, he was remembered last when distributing clothes or sweetmeats and first when it came to work. Everyone used to assign work to Vallabhbhai. Vallabhbhai learned to plow straight and deep furrows, to sow seeds properly and to take care of cattle. While working in the field, the father used to teach his son the basics of mathematics. After some time Zaverbhai gave up worldliness and stayed in the temple. They used to come home in the afternoon only to eat. Deprived of parental affection, Vallabhbhai had to obey his elder brothers – Soma, Narsi, Vitthalbhai. If Vallabhbhai was in front of him, the elder brothers would call him 'mad bull'. In his childhood, Sardar was called a mischievous outsider. Vallabhbhai was seventeen when he completed the third grade of an English school. Vitthalbhai got married when he was nine years old. Vallabhbhai was seventy years old when he got married. His wife Zverba, chosen by parents and uncles, was twelve or thirteen years old. No specific information is available about them. Zwarba of village Gana, three miles from Karamsad, was outside the circle of six villages. When Zaverba died in January 1909 at the age of thirty-nine, Vallabhbhai was thirty-three and his children were five and three years old. Vallabhbhai rarely spoke about him. 'Were your parents?' When asked such a question, 83-year-old Manibehan said, 'I don't know.' 'What can you say about them?' 'Knows nothing.' 'Did your father ever talk about him?' 'My father does not talk to me. Just asking how are you in the morning.' 'Were your parents black or white?' 'I don't know.' Vallabhbhai practiced law for three years in the dusty village of Godhra in Panchmahal district, 66 miles northeast of Nadiad. Vallabhbhai scolded Zaverba. We don't know if Zverba was living in his father-in-law's village or in Pierre at that time. Vallabhbhai borrowed money from a friend, rented a house in Godhra. Bought a table, some chairs, some chess pieces from the auction and started his career. The marriage took place seven-eight years ago, but their cohabitation started now. According to biographer Gordhanbhai Patel, Vitthalbhai's wife Diwaliba was domineering, selfish and tactless. Also he was illiterate, rude. Unwilling to displease Diwali, Vitthalbhai did not inform her about his journey to England. Divaliba and many other people came to know about this only when Vallabhbhai, who returned from Mumbai to take care of Vitthalbhai, informed. Zaverba had to spend a lot of money to live with Divaliba and also suffered mental torture. Zwerba spoke whatever came to mind and Diwaliba did the same. It should not go without mentioning that Zwarba was a lightweight during such a fight. Vallabhbhai sent Pierre to Zaverba. Zwerba went to his Pierre Gana with his two-year-old Manibehan and six-month-old Dahyabhai and stayed there for two years. Vallabhbhai obeyed his rule and Zaverba, a victim of his master's generosity, maintained his support. Although the feeling for Zverba has always been unspoken, it must also have contributed to this decision. For Zverba, he has shown neither affection nor dislike. Although it is true that a man who loves cannot be silent at times, it would be impossible even for Vallabhbhai to hide his hatred all his life. It became Vallabhbhai's specialty not to show anger or grief. The knowledge that the boy would become more withdrawn at seeing his own sadness must have strengthened his tolerance. He prosecuted the case in Anand's court on January 11th at 2 o'clock by pocketing the wire of his wife's death… Everyone knows that, but reading Vallabhbhai's letter on Manibehan (16.6.33), one understands that he too must have been feeling lonely. It was written that Yashoda (Dahyabhai's son-in-law) had passed away and it was raining. Dahyabhai should now think of the future. For Baba (Bipin) there is pain on both sides, but the experience of the world is such that Savakima's pain should not be underestimated. The pain of bowed boys is not less. This character of Sardar may not have come before our eyes. Sahu called him an 'Iron Man', but Maulana Shaukat Ali called Vallabhbhai an 'ice-capped volcano'!
Image Credit: (Divya-Bhaskar): Images/graphics belong to (Divya-Bhaskar).
