“Faith is of no avail in absence of strength; faith and strength both are essential to accomplish any great work.”
Born on 31st October 1875, in Nadiad ,Bombay Presidency , British India, Vallabhai Jhaverbhai Patel was the first Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister of Independent India from 1947 to 1950. He always believed strongly in revolt and stand together for India .He advocated for the establishment of a secular nation. Minimum wages for workers and the abolition of untouchability were among other priorities .Patel used his position as Congress President to organise the return of confiscated land to farmers in Gujarat.
His commitment to national integration in the newly independent country was uncompromising, thus he earned the title of ‘ Iron Man of India ‘.He is also remembered as the ‘patron Saint ‘ of India’s civil servants for playing a pioneer role in establishing the modern All India Services System. For the incredible accomplishments of Sardar ji ,his birthday is celebrated as National Unity Day or Rashtriya Ekta Diwas. It pays homage to this wonderful freedom fighter for his remarkable efforts in integrating India .
It started in 2014 when Prime Minister Sri Narendra Damodardas Modi led this celebration with the’ Run for Unity’ programme in Delhi. We lost Sardarji on December 15 ,1950 but his principles and values have always inspired and guided the people of this nation. His statue in Kevadiya, Gujarat, known as the Statue of Unity on the Sadhu- Bet island in the Narmada river, is the tallest statue of the world. It was inaugurated by Prime Minister Modi and is a tribute to the leader who placed people’s welfare first and spent his life in the struggle for freedom.