How are Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Patel different?

Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first prime minister, and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, its first deputy prime minister, were two towering figures in India’s freedom struggle.

Both were Mahatma Gandhi’s closest associates, and had enormous influence within the Congress Party. Yet both were very different from each other. Nehru and Patel’s economic views differed drastically. Nehru believed in a socialist India, while Patel believed in free enterprise. They also differed on their views about foreign policy and how to tackle the problems of communalism.

 In spite of all this, they worked together as fellow-members of the Congress and colleagues in the Congress Working Committee. They were soldiers in the struggle for freedom, and were both devoted followers of Gandhiji.

 Pandit Nehru and Sardar Patel shared the great burden of administration of independent India, for which the nation owes them a tremendous debt of gratitude.