Kheda Struggle: A century of Bapu-Sardar bond

It will be 100 years today since the day Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel grew close to each other, during the Kheda Satyagraha. It was on March 11, 1918, just four days after the great mill strike in Ahmedabad, which led Bapu to sow the seeds of the nonviolent movement in the country. The Kheda Satyagraha was principally led by Sardar after the region was hit by a famine, cholera and plague, destroying the agrarian economy.
The Bombay Presidency had increased the taxes in 1917-18 by 23% despite many deaths following a cholera outbreak. A century ago, on March 11, Bapu and Sardar had met the collector at Nadiad asking him to postpone the ‘Anavari’ system. When the request fell on deaf ears, Bapu gave the call for a Satyagraha against the unjust tax on March 22, 1918 and addressed 5,000 peasants and advised them not to pay land revenues if crop was less than 25%. The fight was led by Sardar Patel. When the tax was not paid, the government sent agents to seize properties. The farmers did not resist, but donated their cash and valuables to the Gujarat Sabha. It was a united and disciplined protest. The British finally succumbed on June 27 and tax for two consecutive years was suspended and all confiscated property was returned.