Historical Figures

50. Seeing Gandhiji's wish, Patel refused to become the President of Congress

In December 1929, the Congress session was scheduled to be held in Lahore. Till now the Congress had been telling the colonial state as its main demand, but the young leaders did not like this demand. He wanted to declare Purna Swaraj as his goal. Three names came from the provinces for the presidency of this convention.

Five provinces sent the name of Gandhiji, three provinces sent the name of Sardar Patel and two provinces sent the name of Jawaharlal Nehru. Gandhiji wanted Jawaharlal to be given the presidency of this session, so he himself refused to become the president. Patel also refused to preside over the Lahore session.

When people asked Patel the reason for this, he replied that my general is Gandhiji, where he will stay, I will be there. In this way, Jawaharlal got the presidency of this session. Jawaharlal proposed complete independence in this session. This motion was passed by voice vote.

On 31 December 1929, Jawaharlal declared his resolve to achieve complete independence by hoisting the tricolor on the banks of the Ravi river. This was the beginning of a new struggle. The road ahead was full of thorns in which there was nothing but troubles. There was a river of fire in front of the country which had to be crossed by drowning.