Welcome to CGSM ltd

Leadership

Shri Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel

Shri Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was born on 31st October, 1875 at Nadiad Dist.Kaira, Gujarat Bombay presidency British India. He was a Barrister from middle temple U.K. and A statesman, one of the leaders of the Indian national Congress and one of the founding fathers of the Republic of India. He was a social leader who played a leading role in the country’s struggle for independence and guided its integration into a united, independent nation. In India and elsewhere, he was often addressed as Sardar which means Chief in Hindi, Urdu and Persian.

He was raised in the rural Gujarat. Patel was employed in successful practice as a Barrister. He subsequently organized peasants from Kheda, Borsad and Bardoli in Gujarat in non-violent civil disobedience against oppressive policies imposed by the British Raj. In this role, he became one of the most influential leaders of Gujarat. He rose to the leadership of the Indian National Congress, in which capacity he would organised the party for the elections held in 1934 and 1937, as well as continue to promote the Quit India Movement.

As the first Home Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of India, Patel organised relief for refugees who want to settle in Punjab and Delhi and led efforts to restore peace across the nation. Patel took charge of the task to forge a united India by integrating into the newly independent nation those British colonial provinces “allocated” to India. Besides those provinces under direct British rule, approximately 565 self-governing princely states had been released from British suzerainty by the Indian Independence Act.1947. Through both frank diplomacy and military force. Patel persuaded almost every princely state to accede to India. Patel’s commitment to national integration in the newly independent country was total and uncompromising, earning him the sobriquet “Iron Man of India”. He is also affectionately remembered as the “Patron saint of India’s Civil Servants” for having established the modern all-India services system.

Shri Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was a discerning judge of men. He had the ability, rare as it is precious, to choose men who could be inspired with a single minded resolve to apply their special talents to the task of nation building. One such person was Bhaikaka who was thus at the peak of his career as an Engineer when he sought premature retirement from Government Service in 1940 at the behest of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, and joined Ahmedabad Municipality as Chief Engineer. This was the time when his mentor, Sardar Patel began to visualise what a soon-to-be independent India would require, and advised him to give up all this and help him in transforming Charotar into the focal point of India by serving the rural countryside so as to control migration of people from villages to towns in search of education, employment and healthcare. Bhaikaka resigned from this office too in 1942 at the behest of Sardar Patel, and was appointed as Chairman of Charotar Education Society in Anand, a few years before moving on to what we now know as the township of Vallabh Vidyanagar on 3rd March 1946, but not before registering Charutar Vidya Mandal as a Charitable Education Trust on 10th August 1945. What was once a wilderness at the tri-junction of Karamsad, Bakrol and Anand thus became Vallabh Vidyanagar, and the ‘Vallabh’ was prefixed to ‘Vidyanagar’ in recognition of Sardar’s advice to work for rural uplift. Containing migration required that the reasons for migration be addressed, and Bhaikaka began to work on a plan together with Shri Bhikhabhai Patel.

Sardar died on 15th December 1950. An annual Commemoration of Sardar, known as the Rashtriya Ekta Diwas (National Unity Day), was introduced by the Government of India in 2014 and is to be held annually on his birthday, 31 October.

Shri Bhailalbhai Patel (Bhaikaka)

Shri Bhailalbhai Dayabhai Patel, fondly known as Bhaikaka, was born on 7 June 1888 at Sarsa in the Anand District of Gujarat state.

Bhaikaka was instrumental in laying foundation of education town Vallabh Vidyanagar and education trust Charutar Vidya Mandal (CVM). He served as founder Chairman of CVM. His Public activities commenced after he had retired from service as an Engineer. A considerable portion of his working life was spent in Maharashtra and in Sind, both areas which were at one time parts of the former State of Bombay Presidency. Because he had a practical bent of mind, whatever work he was entrusted, he tackled in purposive manner and with the first objective of accomplishing it. It was this characteristic of his which endeared him to the ordinary man wherever he served and which brought him to Sardar Patel’s notice.

To Bhaikaka, Sardar’s wish was tantamount to a command. Bhailalbhai retired from Government service and took over as Chief Engineer of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation. This is not the place to evaluate his work as Chief Engineer in any detail. Suffice it to say that it was outstanding.

His imaginative mind and inherent dynamism would not let him vegetate and he soon plunged into an ambitious new activity. He was gravely concerned about the need for higher educational institutions in rural areas. The men and women living in villages may have available to them facilities at their doorstep. It is noteworthy that until 1947 when we became independent, the higher educational institutions were all located only in large cities.

Bhailalbhai worked out an ingenious scheme. Owners of land would donate land free of cost on condition that they would in return receive a building plot of 500 or 1000 Sq.yards which would be developed around the educational institutions and which would be provided with modern sanitary facilities and piped water supply. The price of the agricultural land at that time was some 300 to 400 Rupees a bigha (1-3/4 bighas equal an acre). The scheme was received enthusiastically and an area of some 600 acres of land was almost immediately offered in the vicinity of Karamsad, Bakrol and Anand. The building plots are today valued at anything from Rs.1 caror to 5 caror according to the location of the plot, The donors had thus the pleasure of helping in the creation of a unique education complex and at the same time profiting financially.

Today there are approximately more than 26 educational institutional, 85 collages and more than 30,000 students are studying in Vallabh Vidyanagar. Bhailalbhai and Bhikhabhai, the two founders, had the satisfaction of the State Government accepting their request for the establishment of a University which started functioning in 1956. Its jurisdiction was deliberately restricted to five miles radius of Vallabh Vidyanagar in the hope that a residential university would develop. As Anand, however, was only 4 miles away educational institutions located in Anand also became eligible for affiliation to the Sardar Patel University as it is now called. Restricted though its jurisdiction is, the University has all the faculties including Medical, which was the last one to be established in 1987. Bhaikaka would have felt happy and satisfied that his and his colleague Bhikhabhai’s cherished project has now been completed. The educational institutions in this University enjoy high reputation for the quality of education imparted and the determined pursuit of excellence.

The township itself has on the whole developed along the lines envisaged by Bhaikaka. Thanks to the lead given by Charotar Gramoddhar Sahkari Mandal Limited, the sister co-operative organization established by the two founders. For infrastructure there has come into being a vibrant and dynamic Industrial Estate which bears the name of Sardar’s elder brother Vithalbhai. The Vithal Udyognagar is a fine example of the benefits that may accrue in terms of employment and general prosperity to a sizeable rural area through this type of dispersal of Industries. The establishment of a Medical College with its essential adjunct, a General Hospital with ultimate bed strength of some 800 has created a virtual township. It is to be hoped that this medical complex will help in developing for a large surrounding area, encompassing several hundred villages, excellent sanitary and healthy conditions.

Bhaikaka and Bhikhabhai, the two founders of Charutar Vidya Mandal and Charotar Gramoddhar Sahkari Mandal Limited, had hoped that education, enlightenment and employment will be secured for the entire rural community, irrespective of caste or creed. That hope, it can legitimately be claimed, has been more than realized. Thousands of boys and girls of all communities have passed through the portals of the educational institutions of Vallabh Vidyanagar. Many thousands from a large hinterland have found work and prospered through the industrial units, large and small, established in Vithal Udyognagar in Vallabh Vidyanagar and Many have gone to foreign countries. And now it is to be hoped that through the Arogyanagar, a healthy life will become possible for an even larger number of people residing in hundreds of neighbouring villages. This information give a fairly comprehensive idea of what Bhaikaka attempted and achieved.

Bhaikaka died on 31st March,1970 in Ahmedabad.

Shri Bhikhabhai Patel (Saheb)

Shri Bhikhabhai Kuberbhai Patel (Saheb) was born on 19th June 1891 at Gambhira Village, Borsad Taluka, Anand District. He was educated at Karamsad up to the year 1903. Shri Bhikhabhai Saheb completed his BA in December 1914. He was appointed as a principal of D.N.High School in 1925.

Bhikhabhai Saheb supported Bhaikaka in all activities right from drafting bye laws of Charotar Gramoddhar Sahkari Mandal Ltd’s so long as he lived date he died. He dedicated his life in educational field. He was taking advice from Bhaikaka when he wrote either to newspaper or Government on impartment issues. He also performed his great responsibility to collect money. In the year 1946 in March, We were in need of money Bhaikaka asked Bhikhabhai to go to Bombay to collect money he went and brought requisite money. Bhikhabhai worked hard to draft Sardar Patel University’s law and on passing the law he also had done a good job to constitute the rules of the university. Bhikhabhai died on 21st April 1956.

Shri Bhikhabhai Saheb dedicated and farsighted educationist, he had played a pivoted role in the establishment of Education township Vallabh Vidyanagar and Charotar Education Society in Anand. He played a major role in the establishment of Charutar Vidya Mandal and Charotar Gramoddhar Sahkari Mandal Ltd. He shared in Bhaikaka’s vision.

Shri Chimanbhai Patel

Shri Chimanbhai Patel born in 1916 – graduated in Civil Engineering at a young age of 21, securing Cook’s and T.P.Trivedi Memorial Prizes from Bombay University. Soon after the graduation, he was selected through All India Competitive Examination for Central Engineering Services (Class – I) and joined Government of India service in 1940, prior to this he worked for a short time With the then Baroda State P.W.D. He is the youngest son of the great Engineer -Educationist – Politician – Dr. Bhailalbhai D. Patel popularly known in Gujarat as "BHAIKAKA".

Shri C.B.Patel worked on urgent aerodrome construction and other Central Government Civil works in South and West India from 1940 to 1947. But to his Hard and dedicated work, he was prompted as Executive Engineer, Superintending Engineer and Chief Engineer at the age of 27, 34, & 44 respectively. He was selected to work at Headquarters of the department at New Delhi from 1947, where he acquired experience in administration and Specialized in the field of Housing, Roads and Community development. He was Member of Government of India’s Roads delegation to U.S.A. in 1949, where He studied Highway Engineering from May, 1949 to October, 1949 alongwith Engineers from 19 other countries and traveled from Coast to Coast.

He was the First Housing Adviser of Government of India from 1952 to 1957, a post he joined after studying low cost housing in Europe for six months under U.N. Fellowship in 1952. He was sponsored by Government of India for a post Of Chief of Housing in South East Asia from E.CAFE at Bangkok, a post he Filled with distinction between 1957 to 1962.

He was already promoted as Chief Engineer in his department, when he returned to India in 1962. Between 1962 to 1970, he served as Director of National Building Organisation and Chief Engineer of Northern Zone in India. Having filled several positions of All India Jurisdiction, he acquired wide Experience of developments activities in all the State of India. He was also a Member of a Sub-Committee appointed by the Planning Commission to examine Technical possibilities of reclamation of ravines in India.

He was again seconded to U.N.Service by the Government in 1970 and worked as a Project Manager of U.N.Projects costing $ 3 million to assist Government of Liberia and Sierra Leone to develop a policy and programme of low cost housing And slum clearance in these West African countries. As he built the housing society at half the cost camped to market, The president of Liberia declared a national holiday.

During his long service with Government and U.N. he attended and services several international meetings and seminars such as:

Represented Government of India in two E.CAFE working parties in Bandung and Bangkok on housing and building materials in 1955 and 1956.
Organised and conducted study tour of Asian Housing Experts in Europe 1960.
Served as Member-Secretary of U.N. Mission of self help housing in South East Asia from September 1961 to January 1962.
Attended 5th Meeting of Advisory Committee of U.N. Regional Housing Centre and 8th Session of the ECAFE working party on Housing and Building materials at Bangkok.
Worked as Sr. Consultant and Co-Director of the United Nation’s Seminar on Housing Statistics and Programmes at Copenhagen in 1963.
Was Vice-Chairman of World Health Organization’s expert Committee on Methodology for Survey and appraisal of Hygienic quality of Housing and Urban development held at Geneva.
Represented India in IV and V Session of U.N.Committee on Housing, Building and Planning at Geneva.
Invited to serve as an Expert on Housing in I.L.D. meeting on Productive Employment in Construction Industry in Asia, held at Bangkok.

On retirement from U.N. Assignment, he is devoting his time for all construction work at Charutar Arogya Mandal and other activities of Vallabh Vidyanagar. He was also the Chairman of Charotar Gramoddhar Sahkari Mandal Limited for the Period from 1978 to 2005. He was the Chairman of Bhaikaka Foundation from 1989 to 2005.

Chimanbhai Patel died on 11th July 2009.