Tripura, 10 Nov 2025: Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel played a pivotal role in preserving the unity and integrity of India. He always envisioned a united and prosperous nation. His contribution to building a strong and unified India is unparalleled, said Chief Minister Professor (Dr.) Manik Saha while inaugurating the “Unity March” at the Ujjayanta Palace premises today, organized by the Department of Youth Affairs and Sports to mark the 150th birth anniversary of India’s first Deputy Prime Minister, the late Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
In his address, Chief Minister Dr. Saha said that the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has launched the Unity March for the first time, with the Union Ministry of Home Affairs undertaking year-long programmes to commemorate the occasion. The state government, too, has initiated several related activities. He emphasized that the primary goal of these initiatives is to instill patriotism and strengthen national unity.
The Chief Minister recalled that in 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared October 31 as Rashtriya Ekta Diwas (National Unity Day) to honor Sardar Patel’s legacy a declaration made for the first time by any Prime Minister. Dr. Saha added that the Prime Minister also took steps to pay tribute to the brave sons and daughters who sacrificed their lives during India’s freedom struggle.
Highlighting Patel’s immense contribution, the Chief Minister said that after India’s independence, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel successfully integrated around 562 princely states into the Indian Union during his tenure as Home Minister a task that required extraordinary statesmanship and determination. Dr. Saha cautioned that even today, certain forces within and outside the country attempt to weaken India’s unity, and citizens must remain vigilant against such threats.
The Chief Minister also mentioned that in 2018, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Statue of Unity on the banks of the Narmada River in Gujarat, the world’s tallest statue, dedicated to Sardar Patel’s memory. The monument now attracts countless visitors from across India and abroad. Dr. Saha added that the Prime Minister continues to call upon citizens to follow Patel’s ideals and work toward the vision of “Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat” (One India, Great India), inspiring the youth to embrace patriotism.
Before the march began, Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha, Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Tinku Roy, Rajya Sabha MP Rajib Bhattacharjee, Acting Sabhadhipati of West Tripura Zilla Parishad Biswajit Shil, MLA Minarani Sarkar, and District Magistrate of West Tripura Dr. Vishal Kumar, among others, paid floral tributes to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s portrait. Artists from Vedic Sangstha performed the patriotic song Vande Mataram.
Dr. Saha led the gathering in taking a Unity Pledge, after which he flagged off the march and released balloons into the sky, marking the start of the event. The Unity March commenced from Ujjayanta Palace and concluded at the International Fairground in Hapania.
Participants included the Chief Minister, the Sports Minister, the MP, district officials, officers of the Youth Affairs and Sports Department and the Information & Cultural Affairs Department, senior police officials, BSF, CRPF, Assam Rifles, and TSR personnel, as well as NCC and NSS cadets, and students from various schools and colleges.
At the closing ceremony, Minister Tinku Roy administered a pledge for a drug-free Tripura and India, reiterating the government’s commitment to unity, discipline, and national integrity.
