NEW YORK: Gujarat Foundation turned out to be the only organization in the otherwise vocal Indian community in the Tri-State area to come out and remember Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on the 132nd birth anniversary of the Iron Man of India.
The 8-feet tall photo frame of Sardar Patel was garlanded at the Indian Consulate here in the presence of Consul General Dayanand Mulay.
The event was attended by community leaders including Peter Kothari, Suresh Jani and others. What was interesting is the fact that the photo frame of Sardar Patel was donated by Gujarat Foundation to the Consulate and was inaugurated by none else than Deputy Prime Minister of India, L. K. Advani. Bur for so long it remained `missing’ at the Consulate.
After lot of persuasion and coxing by the leaders it was “unearthed”, as confessed by the Consul General and made available for garlanding on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Sardar Patel. How and why the photo frame went missing is a subject of investigation by the community leaders.
The Consul General called upon the audience to build a permanent placelike a Center for Study of Life and Work of Sardar Patel where the younger generation can take inspiration from this great leader, or a museum or a statue where people, both Indians and others can go and not only pay obeisance but also take inspiration.
He said that though Sardar Patel was instrumental in unifying the almost 532 princely states of India to make it a union, one must also take into consideration that he did it against all odds. “There were no communication facilities, no proper transportation and yet he acted shrewdly to unify all these princely states. It speaks volumes about the man’s organizing capacities.”
The 8-feet tall photo frame was sponsored and donated by the Gujarat Foundation and was specially drawn by Dinesh Sharma and Mukesh Kashiwala. When contacted Kashiwala said that “the picture was enlarged on Photoshop and then a protective coating was put on the picture which guaranteed a life span of almost 100 years without any distortion or discoloration of the picture. This entire process cost almost $ 2000 at the 2005 rate”, Kashiwala added.
Looking at the frame today clearly shows it has been mishandled at the Consulate. There were clear signs of neglect. Most of the golden frame has patches of black soot and some of the invited guests were seen cleaning the frame to make it presentable for the occasion.
Insiders at the Indian Consulate wishing anonymity told this correspondent that the photo frame went missing just before the former Consul General Prabhu Dayal left office almost five months ago. These sources also maintained that the photo frame went missing in connivance with some prominent community leader whose name was not mentioned in the brass plate.
The frame with golden color had names of some prominent Indian Americans. Along with Advani, the then minister of state for defense Harin Pathak was also instrumental in the launching of the photo frame.
Several top MPs and former and present Union ministers including former ministers, Dr Vallabh Kathiriya, late Bhavnaben Chikhiliya and other leaders never missed an opportunity to come and pay homage to Sardar Patel while in New York.
The picture, which was launched at an event hosted by the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan honoring Advani who was then the Deputy Prime Minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government, was later put up at the Indian Consulate.
Incidentally, this is the only photo frame of this size in entire New York. Even the installation of the photo frame at the Indian Consulate was marred by controversy as the then Consul General Pramthesh Rath would not assign a proper place to hang the 8-feet tall photo frame and it was made to sit on a chair for almost six months. After persistent appeals by officials of the Gujarat Foundation did the Indian Consulate assign a proper place to the Iron Man of India.
Sudhir Vyas
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