Agartala: Chief Minister Prof. Dr. Manik Saha today highlighted the unparalleled contributions of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, stating that the Iron Man of India devoted his entire life to safeguarding the nation’s unity and integrity. Dr. Saha was speaking at the flagging-off ceremony of the Sardar@150 Unity March National Padyatra held at Shastri Maidan in Gujarat.
Earlier in the day, Dr. Saha visited the ancestral house of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and paid floral tribute to his portrait, accompanied by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendrabhai Patel. He said the padyatra was not just a symbolic march but a tribute to the values of unity, courage, and nation-building championed by Sardar Patel.
Dr. Saha recalled that Rashtriya Ekta Diwas, observed every year on October 31 to mark Sardar Patel’s birth anniversary, serves as a reminder of the importance of unity in preserving the nation’s sovereignty. This year’s observance holds special significance as it marks the 150th birth anniversary of Sardar Patel. The nationwide padyatra, organised under the My Bharat initiative of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, forms a central part of the Sardar@150 Unity March celebrations.
He emphasised that the objective of the initiative is to honour Sardar Patel’s monumental role in uniting the country and to inspire the youth with values of patriotism, responsibility, and nation-building. Recalling Patel’s historic task of integrating over 560 princely states between 1947 and 1949, Dr. Saha described him as the architect of India’s administrative and political unity.
The Chief Minister further noted that since 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been observing Rashtriya Ekta Diwas nationwide to honour Sardar Patel’s legacy. As part of the year-long celebration of his 150th birth anniversary, district-level padyatras and various programmes have also been organised across Tripura with great enthusiasm.
