Write Comment     |     E-Mail To a Friend     |     Facebook     |     Twitter     |     Print

Nearly 15,000 people ran the distance between Vijay Chowk and India Gate on Rajpath as part of the ‘Run for Unity’ on the occasion of 140th birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. The day is being celebrated as ‘Rashtriya Ekta Diwas’ (National Unity Day).

The run was flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at around 8.15 a.m. on Saturday and present on the dais with him were Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Lieutenant-Governor Najeeb Jung. Before flagging off the run, Mr. Modi offered floral tributes at Sardar Patel’s statue at Patel Chowk in Delhi’s Parliament Street.

A new scheme

Addressing the huge gathering, Mr. Modi said the government is planning to start a scheme ‘Ek Bharat Shreshth Bharat’, for which a small committee has been formed. He said that once implemented, it will help states recognising and learning about the culture and language of another state, giving the example of Haryana and Tamil Nadu.

Pays tribute to Sardar Patel

“I bow to Sardar Patel. May his blessings always be with the nation and inspire us to scale newer heights,” he said.

He also pointed out that Sardar Patel was the biggest inspiration against ‘Parivarvaad and bhaibhatijavaad’ (dynastic rule and nepotism) as none of his family members are linked to his legacy.

Mr. Modi also mentioned that Sardar Patel had started a ‘Swachchta Abhiyaan’ that went on for 222 days and the effort was appreciated by Mahatma Gandhi. He said that after Chanakya, it was Sardar Patel who strung India together with unity. “Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s ideology and heritage cannot be forgotten. He contributed immensely to India’s unity,” Mr. Modi said.

Mr. Modi also paid his tribute to former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on her death anniversary. October 31 is also celebrated as National Integration Day.

Most roads leading to the venue were closed from early in the morning, for which the Delhi Traffic Police had already issued an advisory. Thousands of participants, many wearing t-shirts with Sardar Patel’s picture on it, ran the nearly 2.5 km long distance. The participants included school and college students, government officials, personnel of paramilitary forces, school teachers etc. People had also come from as far as Gurgaon and even Sonepat in Haryana to take part in the event.