Sardar Patel had advised Hindus and Sikhs to 'fight for their survival during partition days.

V.Shankar was IAS and personal secretory of Sardar Patel . He served Sardar Patel during critical times of partition and unification of princely states . Excerpts from his book "My reminiscences of Sardar Patel"  :-


"They either met Sardar in private interviews or during his walks. Gavind Ballabh Pant, who was then the Chief Minister of U.P. and his entourage were, of course, always at Sardar's beck and call. Pantji shared Sardar's confidence to a degree that few could realise from outside, and both of them used to be locked together in confidential discussions for several minutes off and on. Even during those days, Sardar used to be greatly disturbed by the stream of refugees that was crossing over from the Muslim areas to East Punjab, Delhi and west Uttar Pradesh. Many of them would come to'Delhi and Mussoorie to describe to Sardar the widespread sufferings and hardships that were being experienced by the Hindus and Sikhs in North-west India. Hearing these, Sardar became more and .more convinced that the Hindu and Sikh minorities had no future in Pakistan. Whilst he did realise the desperateness of their plight, he could not counsel them to make a concerted attempt to leave their homes in the hope that the League leaders might relent and the presence of Muslims in India might yet induce the Muslims of Pakistan-to-be to desist from their mad course of action He, therefore, advised the Hindus and Sikhs to organise themselves for their own protection and to fight out the battle of their survival I remember his having told a deputation on one occasion, more or less'in Gandhian style that it was better to die fighting than to flee like a coward."