Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday administered the 'oath of unity' to participants of Rashtriya Ekta Diwas celebrations at the Statue of Unity in Gujarat on the 150th birth anniversary of the country's first home minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
Modi arrived at Patel's 182-metre-tall statue, near Ekta Nagar in Gujarat's Narmada district, in the morning and paid his respects to the Iron Man of India by offering flower petals.
He then left for a nearby venue where he administered the Ekta Diwas pledge to the gathering and witnessed the Rashtriya Ekta Diwas parade.
Through this pledge, participants reaffirmed their commitment to preserving the unity, integrity, and security of the nation. The pledge also emphasised the importance of spreading this message among fellow countrymen.
While addressing the gathering after the parade, Modi said Sardar Patel wanted to unite the entire Kashmir, just as he did with other princely states, into India, but then PM Nehru did not allow it to happen.
“Sardar Patel believed that one should not waste time writing history but we should work hard to create history,” Modi said
“Sardar Patel wanted to unite the entire Kashmir, just as he did with other princely states. But Nehru ji stopped his wish from being fulfilled. Kashmir was divided, given a separate Constitution and a separate flag - and the nation suffered for decades because of Congress' mistake,” Modi said.
The policies that Sardar Patel formulated, the decisions he took, created new history, the PM said.
“After Independence, the impossible task of uniting more than 550 princely states was made possible by Sardar Patel. The idea of One India, Excellent India, was paramount for him,” Modi said.
“Sardar Patel once remarked that his greatest joy came from serving the nation. I want to convey to the people of our country that there is no greater source of happiness than dedicating oneself to the service of the nation,” he said.
This year's Rashtriya Ekta Diwas celebrations included a cultural festival and the National Unity Day parade by police and paramilitary forces.
One of the major attractions of this year's celebrations was the 'Republic Day-style' parade of the armed forces along with decorative tableaux.
The parade featured 10 floats from NSG (National Security Guard), NDRF (National Disaster Response Force), Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Manipur, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand and Puducherry, depicting the theme 'Unity in Diversity'.
On the parade route, a cultural programme featuring 900 artists showcased India's classical dances, representing the richness and diversity of Indian culture.
Contingents of the Border Security Force (BSF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) also participated in the parade.
In a display of women's empowerment in the security forces, PM Modi received a ceremonial salute from contingents of police and paramilitary forces, all of them led by women officers.
Key attractions of this year's parade included a BSF marching contingent, composed exclusively of Indian breed dogs such as Rampur Hounds, Gujarat Police's horse contingent, Assam Police's motorcycle daredevil show, and BSF's camel contingent and camel-mounted band.
The parade also honoured five Shaurya Chakra awardees of the CRPF and 16 gallantry medal winners of the BSF who displayed exceptional courage in anti-Naxal operations in Jharkhand and counter-terror operations in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Indian Air Force presented a fly-past under 'Operation Surya Kiran'.
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