Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the ‘National Unity Day’ parade at Kevadia in Gujarat on Thursday to mark the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhai Patel. He observed the air show by the Suryakiran Aerobatic Team of the Indian Air Force.
The Surya Kiran team members performed some dazzling displays and flew in different formations. This Ekta Diwas Parade comprises 16 marching contingents from nine states and one UT, four Central Armed Police Forces, NCC, and a marching band.
During the ‘Rashtriya Ekta Diwas’, PM Modi spoke on a wide range of issues, including one nation, one election and Article 370. He highlighted that the central government led by him is working towards achieving One Nation, One Poll, which will ensure simultaneous polls for Lok Sabha and state assemblies.
“…We are now working towards One Nation, One Election, which will strengthen India’s democracy, give the optimum outcome of India’s resources, and the country will gain new momentum in achieving the dream of a developed India. Today, India is moving towards One Nation, One Civil Code that is a Secular Civil Code,” he said.
On ‘Rashtriya Ekta Diwas,’ PM Modi also mentioned how the fulfillment of a unified nation and constitution is his biggest tribute to Sardar Patel.
The PM further stated, “Today the whole country is happy that after seven decades of independence, the resolution of one country and one constitution has been fulfilled. This is my biggest tribute to Sardar Saheb. For 70 years, Baba Saheb Ambedkar’s Constitution was not implemented in the entire country. Those who chanted the name of the Constitution had insulted it so much. The reason was the wall of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir. Article 370 has been buried forever. For the first time, voting was done without discrimination in this assembly election. For the first time, the Chief Minister of that place has taken an oath on the Constitution of India. This scene must have given immense satisfaction to the makers of the Indian Constitution; their souls must have found peace, and this is our humble tribute to the makers of the Constitution.”
The Prime Minister also said that some forces in and outside India are trying to destabilize the country and spread anarchy to create a negative image of the nation in the world.
He was addressing a gathering near the iconic Statue of Unity at Ekta Nagar in Gujarat’s Narmada district after paying floral tributes to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on the birth anniversary of India’s first Home Minister.
Since 2014, Sardar Patel’s birth anniversary has been celebrated on October 31 as ‘Rashtriya Ekta Diwas’, or National Unity Day.
“Some forces in and outside India are trying to destabilize the country and spread anarchy to create a negative image of the nation in the world. They are trying to divide the country on caste lines and are against a developed India,” said the PM.
While speaking during the occasion, the Prime Minister said that the people of the country should identify this nexus of “urban Naxals,” which he said is trying to break the country.
“As Naxalism is ending in jungles, a new model of urban Naxals is raising its head. Today, urban Naxals target even those who say that you will remain safe if you remain united. We have to identify urban Naxals and unmask them,” he said.
Though there were people who were skeptical of India’s unification, Sardar Patel made it possible, said Modi, adding that the country will celebrate Patel’s 150th birth anniversary for the next two years.
Earlier in the day, PM Modi paid tribute to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel at the Statue of Unity on his 150th birth anniversary, stating that Patel’s work continues to inspire future generations. After honouring Patel, he administered the Unity Oath and attended the ‘Rashtriya Ekta Diwas’ parade at the Parade Ground in Kevadia.
The Ekta Diwas Parade included 16 marching contingents from nine states and one Union Territory, four Central Armed Police Forces, the National Cadet Corps (NCC), and a marching band. Special attractions featured a Hell March contingent of the National Security Guard (NSG), a daredevil show by BSF and CRPF bikers, a display of Indian Martial Arts by the BSF, a piped band show by schoolchildren, and a ‘Surya Kiran’ flypast by the Indian Air Force.
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s birth anniversary is celebrated as National Unity Day or Rashtriya Ekta Diwas on October 31. Since 2014, this day has been marked by ‘Run for Unity’ events nationwide, with participation from people of all walks of life. Born on October 31, 1875, in Nadiad, Gujarat, Sardar Patel is credited with uniting all 562 princely states of pre-independent India, helping to establish the Republic of India. He served as the country’s first Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister from 1947 to 1950 and passed away on December 15, 1950.
