Prime Minister of India - Dr. Manmohan Singh

PM Releases H.M. Patel's Writings

The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, released a set of two books on 'H.M. Patel's writings', - "A Civil Servant Remembers" and "The First Flush of Freedom", here today. Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Singh recalled his association with Shri Patel describing him as a 'distinguished civil servant, a builder, a visionary, an outstanding Parliamentarian and above all, a man of great integrity and a patriot'.

The following is the text of the Prime Minister's speech:

"I am delighted to associate myself with the release of these two volumes, the memoirs and essays of a great son of our country, the late Shri H.M. Patel. I am very happy that we have here with us, his daughters. They have done their father proud and in publishing these memoirs and essays they are paying a unique tribute to his memory. I commend them for this labour of great love.

For me this evening is a special moment. It brings back memories of my time in the Finance Ministry where I had the privilege of working under the wise, purposive and affectionate leadership of Shri H.M. Patel.

I came to know Shri H.M. Patel first when I was a student at Cambridge in 1956 when he happened to visit us. I returned home in 1957 and in the meanwhile, my teacher Lord Nicholas Kaldor had written to the then Finance Minister, Shri T.T. Krishnamachari that I have a pupil who is ideally suited for working in the Treasury. So, when I came back, Shri H.M. Patel instructed Dr. I.G. Patel to see me and I was offered a job, but it was my misfortune that I could not take up that job. I had a scholarship from the Punjab University and the Vice-Chancellor of the University said - 'If I want to join the Government of India, I must repay all the money that the University had spent on me. So I stayed back in the Punjab University'.

My association with Shri H.M. Patel, which began in 1956, grew enormously as I worked under him when he was the Finance Minister. I was Economic Affairs Secretary and I was appointed Secretary during Mrs. Gandhi's time. As it happens unfortunately in our country, when there are political changes, they do affect civil servants. And I was probably the only Secretary in 1977 who kept his old job and I know that it was because of Shri H.M. Patel.

I watched him work from very close quarters. He was a perfect gentleman. I have never heard him talk ill of anybody. We often discussed power - and its uses and abuses and it is from him that I learnt that power is a societal trust, that we cannot sit on it but one must spend it for the good of the largest number of people. On many occasions, I travelled with him and he would take me to a bookshop. Whenever he had free time, he would call various people, who he felt ought to be donating money for his hospital projects. So, he had this passion for service and also his recognition of the role of civil society. We are today talking increasingly of involving the civil societies, the NGOs, but Shri H.M. Patel was probably the first one in active politics who recognised the contribution that civil societies and the NGOs could make. What we know of Operation Flood and what he has done for our country, is in a large measure because of the visionary leadership and creative guidance that Shri H.M. Patel provided to this massive, national operation at a very critical phase.

Another thing I would like to recall is that Shri H.M. Patel may have been a shy man, but he encouraged his officials to think boldly. I recall on one particular occasion, he and I differed and this was an issue of the future Gold Policy of our country. He got angry with me, but at the end of it he said, 'we are going to the Prime Minister, you must come with me, you have a right to put your point of view to the Prime Minister' and he allowed me to put my point of view to the Prime Minister. I also remember how affectionately he trained me to work effortlessly with Morarjibhai. When Morarjibhai became the Prime Minister, he was a very angry old man. He felt that Mrs. Gandhi had ruined the economy and it was left to me to explain to the then Cabinet that whatever things Mrs. Gandhi may have done, she had left behind a good economy - an economy in good shape. That obviously annoyed Morarjibhai when I said this. So he said to me that if that is your view, you should have nothing to do with economic policies! The fact that I remained the Secretary, Economic Affairs throughout the period of Morarjibhai's Prime Ministership was very largely because H.M. trained me. He said, 'Never pick up an argument with Morarjibhai, but you should continue to do what you feel like doing'.

It is in this context that I remember that there was a very serious discussion on the Rupee-Rouble rate. I had the Finance Minister's approval for a particular course of action and when we went to take Morarjibhai's approval, he was in a very angry mood. He said to me, 'If these are your views, you should not be a member of the delegation which is going to Russia'. I looked towards the Finance Minister. The Finance Minister also kept quiet. So when I came back, I was angry with H.M and I said, 'Sir, you had approved this proposal. But when the Prime Minister questioned me and he rebuked me, you did not intervene'. He said, 'That is the way. Now the best thing you can do is to put down what you were to say and were not allowed to say. Send it to Morarjibhai', and I did that. Next day came in bold handwriting of Morarjibai, 'Dr. Manmohan Singh would continue to be the leader of the Indian delegation'. It is for me a very nostalgic occasion. I remember his many acts of kindness, generosity and affection and that was an experience, which is truly unforgettable. He was of course, a distinguished civil servant. A builder, a visionary, an outstanding Parliamentarian, above all, a man of great integrity, a nationalist and truly a great patriot.

His much-acclaimed role in the civil service and public life offered him opportunities to serve the country in many important capacities. His record of service as an officer remains a shining example for civil servants even today. His commitment to the concept of accountability in public life, to the values of probity and integrity earned him a place of distinction in the Government. Well-known for his administrative calibre, he rose to occupy the position of Cabinet Secretary at a very early age in his career. His reputation as an efficient and competent officer endeared him both to Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Patel and he was entrusted with responsibilities to deal with the sensitive situation arising out of the partition of the country.

Panditji's decision to ask him to handle four different assignments at the same time, namely those of Cabinet Secretary, Establishment Officer, Member of the Central Committee for Refugees and Executive Head of the Delhi Committee for restoring order in the Capital, and the Chief Indian Member of the Steering Committee, whose function was to decide on the distribution of assets and liabilities between India and Pakistan, is a measure of his regard for H.M's abilities and integrity.

I believe Panditji described him as a first-rate officer and eminently suitable to handle complex issues. I am told that Panditji wrote to Sardar Patel to relieve him from Defence Ministry to enable him to handle Kashmir affairs and the food problems in the country. As Defence Secretary, he was the moving force behind the decision to organise the dramatic military airlift to Srinagar during those crisis-ridden days in 1947.

His role as Principal Finance Secretary at the time of the drafting of the Second Plan was deeply appreciated. Today when we stress the importance of expeditious implementation of Government policies and programmes and place emphasis on proper delivery mechanisms, the country yearns for more civil servants in the mould of H.M. Patel. I urge our civil servants and Ministers to draw inspiration from the dedication and commitment that people like H.M. Patel showed in the service of the nation.

H.M firmly believed that government must be designed to serve people. He once said, and I quote, 'There must be sensitive approach to the time factor. Whatever is done must be done very promptly'. His recurrent theme that, "Only if the civil servant is imbued with the spirit of public service will good administration be possible', can be ignored at our own peril'. Shri K.B. Lal, another eminent civil servant referring to Shri Patel wrote, 'There is much in the life and work of HM...which could help the present generation of civil servants to cope with contemporary constraints and help revitalise the polity and restore its credibility'. One thing which again left a lasting impression on my mind is H.M's deep commitment to efficiency and economy. I recall on one occasion, we were discussing various Budget issues. There was a difference between me and the Expenditure Secretary to the extent of Rs. 50 lakh. I had the temerity to say that this was a small amount. We do not have to waste our time on that. Shri H.M Patel lost his temper and he said to me, 'you are Finance Secretary. You cannot take the view that Rs. 50 lakh is a small amount. It is our duty to safeguard the interests of our country to the last 'Anna' and Paise'. Such was his great concern for efficiency, economy, probity and integrity. He was of course a many-splendoured personality. His success in public life, as a Parliamentarian, was as distinguished as his career in the civil services. His role as the leader of the Opposition was inspiring. As the Finance Minister and later as Home Minister in the Union Government, he gave a new direction to our economy and to dealing with challenges at home. I have already mentioned the contribution that he made to the launching of Operation Flood. I also recall he was the first Finance Minister who made provisions in the Income Tax Act to involve NGOs and civil society organisations in work relating to rural development. After serving the country with dedication, he wisely opted to move from his 'Karmabhoomi' back to his 'Janmabhoomi', where he devoted himself to the spread of education. His activities as the Chairman of the Vidya Mandal contributed to the educational development of the region and gave him fulfilment in the last phase of his life. I recall when I last visited him, I think it was a few months before his stroke. He insisted that I must go and visit a hospital in Ahmedabad that he had been instrumental in giving shape to. A British colleague once hailed his decision to return to his roots for serving people and saw in it a Gandhian approach to life.

Amrita, I thank you, and Nisha, for giving me an opportunity to associate myself with this event, particularly as this event happens to coincide with the 100th birth anniversary of Shri H.M. Patel. I am sure that these books containing useful historical information will be of interest to students of history, politics and economics, as well as lay readers, who wish to understand how the first generation of post-Independence India laid the foundations of our Republic, through hard work and a commitment to the ideals and values of our National Movement.

I compliment Rupa Publishers for publishing these books and I commend Patelji's daughters for their labour of love. They have done their father proud with their dedication and commitment. What more can a father ask for from his daughters".