The Servant of the People

That year the rains played havoc in Gujarat. There were floods everywhere. The roads were under water. Thousands of houses were washed away. Lakes of people lost everything. Vallabhbhai came to their rescue. His efforts brought 2,000 volunteers together. They supplied food and clothes to those that had suffered vowing to the floods and looked after them.But their services were still needed. Hardly had the floods subsided when a terrible famine broke out. The farmers had no oxen, and no seeds; how were they to till the land? People were in utter despair. Patel drew the attention of the government to the sufferings of the people. He argued that the government collected taxes from the people, and therefore, it was the duty of the government to help them in their distress. So forceful was his demand that finally the government had to spend fifteen million rupees to help those in the famine stricken areas. Patel organized the relief works very efficiently so that the money was used properly. The world realized that he was not only a great fighter but also a superb organizer.