Sri Vijaya Puram, Oct. 30: The Government of India will celebrate the 150th Birth Anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel through an elaborate, year-long series of activities under the banner “Sardar@150”, honouring the Iron Man of India’s unmatched contribution to the nation’s unity and integrity. The initiative, spearheaded by the Ministry of Culture, aims to revive the values of national integration, good governance, and public service that Sardar Patel embodied. Various activities such as exhibitions, essay and debate competitions, heritage walks, lectures, patriotic runs, and cultural programmes are being organized to highlight Sardar Patel’s pivotal role in integrating over 560 princely States into the Indian Union. The “Sardar@150” campaign will focus on five key themes viz. Unity and Nation Building, Good Governance, Empowering Youth, Rural Development, and Cultural Integrity.
In line with this national initiative, the A&N Administration will organize a series of commemorative events across the Islands focusing on National Integration, Good Governance, and Public Service. These will include seminars, essay and painting competitions, heritage walks, cleanliness drives, plantation campaigns, sports meet, exhibitions, and awareness programmes at schools, colleges, and community centers.
To mark the ‘Rashtriya Ekta Diwas’ (National Unity Day) on October 31, commemorating the 150th Birth Anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, and to promote the spirit of unity, integrity and national integration among the citizens, a ‘Run for Unity’ will be organized by A&N Administration tomorrow (Oct. 31) at 6 am from Netaji Stadium main gate. The run will follow the route: Netaji Stadium – Clock Tower – Bengali Club – SVPMC Office – Aberdeen Bazar – and back to Netaji Stadium as the finishing point. All participants have been requested to report at the venue by 5.50 am.
Before the start of the ‘Unity Run’, a Unity Pledge will be administered to the participants at the starting point, underscoring the importance of maintaining the sovereignty, peace and integrity of the nation, encouraging citizens to pledge their commitment to ‘Unity in Diversity’. The “Sardar@150” celebrations will be observed across all districts and Islands with Unity Runs, Pledge Ceremonies, and Mass Participation Events.
Meanwhile, the Department of Art & Culture, as part of ‘Rashtriya Ekta Diwas’ will be organising a patriotic song program at District Jail, Prothrapur tomorrow (Oct. 31) at 3.30 pm. An on the spot quiz befitting the occasion will also be organized for the visitors of Cellular Jail in the forenoon tomorrow.
To ensure wide reach and active participation in the Sardar@ 150 celebrations, a dedicated page shall be created on the MY Bharat portal. The main MY Bharat homepage will prominently feature a Sardar@150 banner, serving as the gateway to the page. The page will serve as the hub for all events and competitions organized as part of the celebrations, offering an engaging and user-friendly interface to engage in various activities, with a digital trail to all anniversary related content and activities. The page shall host a variety of events, from which the user can navigate to each specific activity page such as Reel Competition, Unity March, Podcasts, and other programs. The Registration for the competition began on Oct. 2 and will be open till Nov. 2.