Narmada (Gujarat): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday paid tribute to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on his 150th birth anniversary at the Statue of Unity in Ekta Nagar, Gujarat’s Narmada district. Visuals from the event showed Modi performing ‘Abhishek’ at the statue’s feet, followed by a floral tribute and folded-hand salute before the towering monument, a symbolic gesture of reverence to the Iron Man of India.
Modi described Sardar Patel as the driving force behind India’s integration and an eternal source of inspiration. In a post on X, he wrote, “India pays homage to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on his 150th Jayanti. He was the driving force behind India’s integration, shaping the nation’s destiny in its formative years. His unwavering commitment to national integrity, good governance and public service continues to inspire generations. We reaffirm our resolve to uphold his vision of a united, strong and self-reliant India.”
Grand Rashtriya Ekta Diwas Celebrations At Ekta Nagar
The Rashtriya Ekta Diwas celebrations at Ekta Nagar this year are being marked on a grand scale, featuring a Republic Day-style parade and a cultural festival. The parade, organised at the foot of the 182-metre-tall Statue of Unity, the world’s tallest statue, showcased the discipline and valour of India’s security forces.
Contingents from the Border Security Force (BSF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), and Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) participated in the grand parade. Ten tableaus representing NSG, NDRF, Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Manipur, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, and Puducherry depicted the theme ‘Unity in Diversity’.
A cultural programme featuring 900 artists added colour to the event, showcasing India’s classical dance forms and regional traditions, emphasizing the country’s cultural unity.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, in a statement on Thursday, announced that a grand parade will be held every October 31 at Ekta Nagar to commemorate Sardar Patel’s birth anniversary, institutionalising the tradition of celebrating national unity at the Statue of Unity.
Remembered as the Iron Man of India, Sardar Patel’s strength, as noted in a government release, lay not just in authority but in his integrity, ideas, and strategic foresight, virtues that continue to define India’s unity, stability, and progress.
