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Besides Halloween, do you know what else is celebrated nationwide with much more pride? It’s the Rashtriya Ekta Diwas, in simpler terms known as National Unity Day. This day and its celebration isn’t a mystery as to what it means and what it’s celebrated for. However, National Unity Day was indeed declared to be celebrated on 31st October, first in 2014, to honour Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on his birthdate.
Observed every year
Despite the fact that National Unity Day signifies unity and ushers the people of the nation to unite as one on this day as well as every other day, this diwas started being observed to honour the role that the ‘Iron Man of India’ played in uniting India at the time of Independence.
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel is known as the Iron Man of India. He played the main role in convincing all of the divided India into uniting and staying as one nation. Vallabhbhai Patel was given the title of Sardar, which means chief, for his outstanding leadership skills. Through them only, did the county survive the partition yet still manage to stay as one united nation. He achieved what was unachievable for everyone else. He persuaded most of the 565 princely states who were self-governing at the time to join hands in the unity of India and become a part of the country post partition. This was at the ongoing time of the integration of the princely state along with the time of India’s partition in 1947. All the states as well as India (undivided) had recently been let go from the hands of the British with utmost dedication towards freedom by the people of the nation.
Back in 2014, the first year when National Unity Day was celebrated, the central government officially declared this to be done every year henceforth on the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, which is on 31st October. They also gave an official statement for the same declaring that this diwas “will provide an opportunity to reaffirm the inherent strength and resilience of our nation to withstand the actual and potential threats to the unity, integrity, and security of our country”.
Every year, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel as well as Ekta is celebrated in the country. Every government office, as well as public sector undertakings and all of the offices are bound by the official order to organise a ceremony to take a pre-written pledge - “I solemnly pledge that I dedicate myself to preserve the unity, integrity, and security of the nation and also strive hard to spread this message among my fellow countrymen. I take this pledge in the spirit of unification of my country which was made possible by the vision and actions of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. I also solemnly resolve to make my own contribution to ensure the internal security of my country.”
The recent addition to the country, the Statue of Unity in Gujarat is a statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in order to honour his contribution to the India we live in today as one nation and call our own proudly.
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