National Unity Day: Shah Recalls Patel's Role in Uniting India

Speaking on National Unity Day, Union Home Minister Amit Shah honoured Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel at an Ekta Daud held in New Delhi, calling his life a lasting lesson in sacrifice and patriotism for the youth of the country.

The Ekta Daud was organised in the capital on October 31. Shah said that after Narendra Modi became Prime Minister, Sardar Patel's birth anniversary began to be observed as National Unity Day, a step that he described as a fitting tribute.

Patel's contribution to the nation, Shah said, went far beyond politics. He not only changed the direction of India's history but also laid a firm foundation for the geographical unity of a free country. Through the integration of many princely states and provinces, Patel bound the nation together in a historic manner.

Shah said that the unified India visible today is the creation of Sardar Patel. Recalling the early days after independence, he said many observers across the world had expected India to break apart. Patel, however, delivered a united nation within 1,218 days, achieving what was widely seen as impossible.

He explained that Patel's efforts toward geographical, political and cultural unity were successful and held the country together. Today, Shah said, the India envisioned by Patel stands with dignity before the world.

The minister further said that on March 31 of this year, India was declared free from Naxalism and has since moved ahead in the direction of a drug-free nation. On the 151st birth anniversary of Sardar Patel, he appealed to the people of the country to work towards the goal of making India completely drug-free by December 31, 2029.

Shah said a drug-free India forms the first phase of the Prime Minister's vision of a developed India. He cited major decisions during Modi's tenure, such as abrogating Article 370, making Kashmir a permanent part of India, ending Naxalism and implementing One Nation, One Tax. He added that many other major achievements have followed.

According to Shah, the nation's diversity in language, culture and tradition is its greatest strength, a message that Sardar Patel championed. He also recalled that Patel had imagined the Somnath Temple's reconstruction. Under Modi's leadership, he said, Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat are taking India toward the top position in global rankings.

Shah acknowledged that Sardar Patel was not accorded proper recognition for many years and accused the Congress of consistently neglecting his legacy. He said that when Modi served as Chief Minister of Gujarat, the Statue of Unity was built, showcasing Patel's personality to the entire nation.

Prime Minister Modi will receive a salute from police parades from across the country at the Statue of Unity and deliver a message of national unity at 4:30 pm today. National Unity Runs are also set to take place across India today.

Finally, the Union Home Minister administered the National Unity Day pledge to everyone present.