Can’t wait to get a glimpse: Grand nephew

Vadodara: He is about to cross 90 and sciatica has resulted in severe pain in his legs, making any movement difficult for him.
But the excitement in the eyes of Dhirubhai Patel, son of Sardar’s nephew Purshottambhai Patel and eldest amongst Sardar’s extended family, is palpable. In fact, he does not even want to wait for October 31 – the day on which world’s tallest statue – the Statue of Unity – will be inaugurated. He may reach the ‘Sadhu Bet’ island on Thursday itself.

“I have already crossed 90. I want to take a close glimpse of the statue. It might be difficult on October 31 as there would be thousands attending the function and we would be required to sit on specific spots. Also, I need a wheel-chair,” said Dhirubhai, who still cherishes childhood memories of Sardar Patel.

Dhirubhai is settled in Vadodara since a decade after working at a chemical factory in Mumbai for several years.

“I and Bipin (Sardar’s late) grandson would often play together at our Ahmedabad house. I still remember how Sardar would keep watching at us from behind and at times he would also join us while we play ‘antakshari’. He was a disciplinarian but also a grandfather who would join us in our games,” he said.

Being of the same age, Dhirubhai’s father Purshottambhai and Sardar’s son Dahyabhai and daughter Maniben had grown up together in Ahmedabad.

“Later when Gandhiji had appealed to boycott all foreign goods including education, my father had left for Africa but later returned to India,” said Dhirubhai.

He still remembers how he had attended the Congress Haripura session in 1938 where his father was a volunteer. “Bipin and I had stayed with Sardar in his cottage during those days,” he said.

In her last days, Dhirubhai’s family had taken care of Maniben, who was bed-ridden and had lost her senses. “Chimanbhai (referring to Gujarat’s former CM Chimanbhai Patel) would regularly visit our house, he said.

“On one day, when Maniben had lost her reflexes, he had told the civil hospital to send an ambulance but the attendant insisted that the call should come from head of civil. When Chimanbhai called this man, the government official said he would think about it. “It was then that Chimanbhai introduced himself as Gujarat CM and an ambulance reached to shift Maniben to hospital,” he said.