Delhi honours Sardar Patel with calls for unity, integrity

From the morning Run for Unity at Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium to a seminar at the Directorate of Training (UTCS) in Vishwas Nagar and a Unity March in the evening, the day reflected Patel’s enduring vision for a united India

The national capital marked the 150th birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on Friday with a series of events that celebrated his legacy as the architect of India’s unity and administrative framework. From the morning Run for Unity at Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium to a seminar at the Directorate of Training (UTCS) in Vishwas Nagar and a Unity March in the evening, the day reflected Patel’s enduring vision for a united India.

The ‘Run for Unity’ organised to mark the 150th birth anniversary of India’s first home minister, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, at Kartavya Path in New Delhi on Friday. (RAJ K RAJ /HT PHOTO)

Union home minister Amit Shah flagged off the Run for Unity, recalling Patel’s journey from a successful barrister to one of India’s foremost freedom fighters. “Sardar Patel gave up his legal career at Mahatma Gandhi’s call. His leadership shone during the Bardoli Satyagraha of 1928, when farmers stood up against British injustice. What began in a small town became a nationwide movement, forcing the British to accept their demands. It was then that Gandhiji gave him the title ‘Sardar’,” Shah said.

Chief minister Rekha Gupta, who joined Shah at the event, paid floral tributes to Patel and hailed his role in integrating over 550 princely states after Independence. “Sardar Patel was known as the Iron Man of India for his unwavering commitment to the unity and integrity of our nation. On his 150th birth anniversary, we renew our pledge to uphold his vision of a united India,” she said.

Gupta also congratulated the Indian women’s cricket team for their emphatic semi-final win in the ODI World Cup, calling it a “fabulous victory that embodies the spirit of perseverance and unity that Patel stood for.”

Later in the day, lieutenant governor Vinay Kumar Saxena presided over a seminar at UTCS, attended by senior officials including chief secretary Rajeev Verma and director of training Prashant Goyal. Recalling Patel’s famous description of the civil services as the “steel frame of India”, Saxena said his administrative foresight continues to shape governance in the country.

Echoing the sentiment, Gupta described the civil services as the “driving engine” of India’s administrative machinery. “Under Patel’s leadership, the scattered princely states were woven into a strong and united India. His courage and vision remain our guiding light,” she said.

The celebrations concluded with a grand Unity March led by the chief minister and her cabinet colleagues, symbolising the spirit of solidarity Patel envisioned.