H. M. Patel
Encyclopedia
Hirubhai Mulljibhai Patel (August 27, 1904 – November 30, 1993) was an India
n civil servant who played a major role in the issues regarding internal and national security in the first years after the independence of India. From 1977 to 1980, served as the Finance Minister
and later the Home Minister of India.
from the town of Dharmaj
, Anand district
. He graduated from St Catherine's College, Oxford
with a major in economics and joined the Indian Civil Service.
in 1946, serving till 1950. Prior to independence, Patel worked with Chaudhry Muhammad Ali
, the future Prime Minister of Pakistan, and Walter John Christie
on the preparation and implementation of the crucial document The Administrative Consequences of Partition.
He was the head of the Emergency Committee administering Delhi
in the days following the outbreak of massive violence following the Partition of India
in 1947. Patel headed the effort to rehabilitate millions of Hindu
and Sikh
refugees entering the city, while protecting the Muslim
s living in the city.
He continued as one of India's highest-ranking civil servants till 1959. He would be Patel's closest aide on curbing the communal violence, fighting the First Kashmir war
, and integrating over 500 princely states into the Union with V. P. Menon
.
's Congress Party in the 1977 elections that ended the Indian Emergency, Patel was appointed the Finance Minister by the new Prime Minister Morarji Desai
, who was leading India's first non-Congress administration. He changed many of India's socialist economic policies, ending barriers to foreign investment and reducing tariffs while protecting home industries. He was responsible for the policy that all foreign companies must form corporations with an Indian company holding a 50% stake, which caused Coca-Cola
to pull out of India, but most others did not.
.
He joined the Swatantra Party
of Chakravarthi Rajagopalachari, which was committed to free market economic policies.
He was a senior ranking functionary of the Sumati Morarjee Shipping Company after his retirement from the Indian civil service.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n civil servant who played a major role in the issues regarding internal and national security in the first years after the independence of India. From 1977 to 1980, served as the Finance Minister
Finance minister
The finance minister is a cabinet position in a government.A minister of finance has many different jobs in a government. He or she helps form the government budget, stimulate the economy, and control finances...
and later the Home Minister of India.
Early life
Patel was a GujaratiGujarati people
Gujarati people , or Gujaratis are an ethnic group that is traditionally Gujarati-speaking and can trace their ancestry to the state of Gujarat in western India...
from the town of Dharmaj
Dharmaj
Dharmaj is a town in Gujarat.-Early history:The history regarding the settlement of Dharmaj is very ancient. Some say it was settled by Dharma Rabari in 1130 A.D. Dharma Rabari found Shiva Ling, while digging in the remote area of the jungle. He used to take his cows there for grazing. The name of...
, Anand district
Anand district
Anand District is an administrative district of Gujarat state in western India. It was carved out of the Kheda district in 1997. Anand is the administrative headquarters of the district. It is bounded by Kheda District to the north, Vadodara District to the east, Ahmedabad District to the west,...
. He graduated from St Catherine's College, Oxford
St Catherine's College, Oxford
St Catherine's College, often called Catz, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its motto is Nova et Vetera...
with a major in economics and joined the Indian Civil Service.
Cabinet secretary
Patel became cabinet secretary to the Ministry for Home Affairs under Sardar Vallabhbhai PatelSardar Vallabhbhai Patel
Vallabhbhai Jhaverbhai Patel was an Indian barrister and statesman, one of the leaders of the Indian National Congress and one of the founding fathers of India...
in 1946, serving till 1950. Prior to independence, Patel worked with Chaudhry Muhammad Ali
Chaudhry Muhammad Ali
Chaudhry Muhammad Ali Chaudhry Muhammad Ali Chaudhry Muhammad Ali (Punjabi, ; (July 15, 1905 - December 2, 1980) was a Pakistani statesman who served as the fourth Prime Minister of Pakistan from 1955 to 1956.-Early life:...
, the future Prime Minister of Pakistan, and Walter John Christie
Walter John Christie
Walter Henry John Christie CSI, CIE, OBE was a British colonial civil servant who played a key part in the independence of India and provided administrative continuity after independence....
on the preparation and implementation of the crucial document The Administrative Consequences of Partition.
He was the head of the Emergency Committee administering Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
in the days following the outbreak of massive violence following the Partition of India
Partition of India
The Partition of India was the partition of British India on the basis of religious demographics that led to the creation of the sovereign states of the Dominion of Pakistan and the Union of India on 14 and 15...
in 1947. Patel headed the effort to rehabilitate millions of Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
and Sikh
Sikh
A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. It primarily originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in Sanskrit term शिष्य , meaning "disciple, student" or शिक्ष , meaning "instruction"...
refugees entering the city, while protecting the Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
s living in the city.
He continued as one of India's highest-ranking civil servants till 1959. He would be Patel's closest aide on curbing the communal violence, fighting the First Kashmir war
Indo-Pakistani War of 1947
The India-Pakistan War of 1947-48, sometimes known as the First Kashmir War, was fought between India and Pakistan over the princely state of Kashmir and Jammu from 1947 to 1948. It was the first of four wars fought between the two newly independent nations...
, and integrating over 500 princely states into the Union with V. P. Menon
V. P. Menon
Vappala Pangunni Menon CIS CIE , also known as V. P. Menon, was an Indian civil servant who played a vital role during the partition of India and the integration of independent India, from the period 1945-1950....
.
Finance minister
Following the defeat of Indira GandhiIndira Gandhi
Indira Priyadarshini Gandhara was an Indian politician who served as the third Prime Minister of India for three consecutive terms and a fourth term . She was assassinated by Sikh extremists...
's Congress Party in the 1977 elections that ended the Indian Emergency, Patel was appointed the Finance Minister by the new Prime Minister Morarji Desai
Morarji Desai
Morarji Ranchhodji Desai was an Indian independence activist and the fourth Prime Minister of India from 1977–79. He was the first Indian Prime Minister who did not belong to the Indian National Congress...
, who was leading India's first non-Congress administration. He changed many of India's socialist economic policies, ending barriers to foreign investment and reducing tariffs while protecting home industries. He was responsible for the policy that all foreign companies must form corporations with an Indian company holding a 50% stake, which caused Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink sold in stores, restaurants, and vending machines in more than 200 countries. It is produced by The Coca-Cola Company of Atlanta, Georgia, and is often referred to simply as Coke...
to pull out of India, but most others did not.
Home minister
Patel was later appointed Home Minister in the administration of Charan Singh, who briefly succeeded Morarji Desai in 1979. Patel was a fervent admirer of Vallabhbhai Patel, and a critic of Jawaharlal NehruJawaharlal Nehru
Jawaharlal Nehru , often referred to with the epithet of Panditji, was an Indian statesman who became the first Prime Minister of independent India and became noted for his “neutralist” policies in foreign affairs. He was also one of the principal leaders of India’s independence movement in the...
.
Other posts
Patel was the Chairman of the Gujarat Electricity Board and was a trustee and supporter of the Vallabh Vidyanagar University in Anand district.He joined the Swatantra Party
Swatantra Party
The Swatantra Party was a classical liberal political party in India founded by Chakravarti Rajagopalachari and N. G. Ranga in August 1959. The party opposed the Nehruvian socialist outlook of the Congress Party by advocating free enterprise and free trade, and opposing the licence-permit Raj...
of Chakravarthi Rajagopalachari, which was committed to free market economic policies.
Literary career
He wrote two books, Rites of Passage: A Civil Servant Remembers and The First Flush of Freedom: Recollections and Reflections.He was a senior ranking functionary of the Sumati Morarjee Shipping Company after his retirement from the Indian civil service.