Dipak Kurmi
National Unity Day marks Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's birth anniversary each October 31st, a celebration that honors India's Iron Man and his monumental contributions to the nation. Known as Rashtriya Ekta Diwas, this observance celebrates Patel's extraordinary vision that shaped India's unity during a pivotal moment in history. As the nation commemorates this day with nationwide reverence, citizens receive an opportunity to reaffirm India's inherent strength and resilience against threats to unity and security, while reflecting upon the values that transformed a fragmented subcontinent into the world's largest democracy.
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's legacy continues to shape modern India through principles and institutions that remain as relevant today as when first established. His role as India's first Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister led to an unprecedented achievement—the integration of more than 560 princely states into a unified India after independence. This extraordinary feat of diplomacy and steadfast dedication created the geographical foundation of contemporary India, preventing the balkanization that could have fragmented the newly independent nation into countless sovereign entities. His diplomatic skills and strategic vision established the territorial integrity that Indians often take for granted today, yet represented one of history's most remarkable exercises in nation-building.
The government plans to honor Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's 150th birth anniversary through a nationwide program extending from 2024 to 2026, reflecting the enduring significance of his contributions. His message of "Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat" resonates deeply in contemporary India as the nation continues navigating its path through unity amid diversity. The world's tallest statue, the Statue of Unity in Kevadia, Gujarat, stands as a testament to Patel's enduring influence on the nation's history, serving as both a tourist attraction and a powerful symbol of national integration.
Vallabhbhai Patel's transformation from a small-town lawyer to India's Iron Man showcases his remarkable character development and unwavering commitment to national service. Born in Nadiad, Gujarat on October 31, 1875, to a modest agricultural family, young Vallabhbhai's early education in Nadiad, Petlad, and Borsad shaped his stoic demeanor that became his leadership trademark. Though he matriculated at age 22, Patel established himself as a country lawyer and saved money diligently, demonstrating the determination and discipline that would characterize his later political career. His resolve led him to England in 1910 to study at the Middle Temple, where he completed his law course in two years instead of three and won a prize in Roman Law, showcasing his intellectual capabilities and competitive spirit.
Patel returned to India in 1913 and built a successful legal practice in Ahmedabad, earning substantial income and professional recognition. His life changed dramatically after meeting Mahatma Gandhi at the Gujarat Political Conference in Godhra in 1917. This meeting transformed his path completely, as he gave up his European clothes and adopted the simple white khadi worn by Indian peasants, symbolizing his commitment to India's independence struggle and his identification with the common people. This transformation marked the beginning of his emergence as a mass leader and key figure in India's freedom movement.
The Kheda Satyagraha of 1918 marked his deeper involvement in politics, where he worked as Gandhi's deputy and organized farmers against unfair taxation imposed by British authorities. His leadership skills shone brightly during the 1928 Bardoli Satyagraha, earning him the title "Sardar" meaning leader. This achievement secured his position in India's freedom struggle and laid the foundation for his crucial role in national integration that would follow independence. These movements demonstrated not merely his organizational capabilities but his profound understanding of how to mobilize masses for political change while maintaining non-violent principles.
His role in building a United India represents Sardar Patel's most enduring contribution. Taking on his biggest challenge as India's first Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister after independence in 1947, he successfully united over 565 princely states into the Indian Union, which earned him the title "Iron Man of India". This monumental task required extraordinary diplomatic finesse, as each princely state possessed its own history, culture, and political aspirations. Patel's diplomatic approach worked brilliantly, as he promised the princely states benefits like privy purses and protection under India's new government, while making clear that remaining independent was not a viable option.
When diplomacy didn't work, as in Junagadh and Hyderabad, he demonstrated decisive resolve by not hesitating to use military force when necessary. The Nawab of Junagadh wanted to join Pakistan, despite ruling over a Hindu-majority population, but Patel's quick action brought it into India through a combination of diplomatic pressure and strategic maneuvering. The same situation arose with Hyderabad's Nizam, who attempted to maintain independence after Operation Polo in 1948. These decisive actions prevented the fragmentation of India and established the principle that geographic continuity and demographic reality would guide integration decisions.
Patel's work extended beyond uniting territories. He helped partition refugees who fled to Punjab and Delhi, demonstrating his concern for human welfare alongside political integration. He also created the modern All India Services system, which he called India's "steel frame", establishing institutions that would provide administrative coherence across the diverse nation. This framework earned him recognition as the "patron saint of India's civil servants", as these services created a permanent bureaucratic architecture transcending regional and linguistic boundaries. His foresight in establishing these institutions has proven invaluable, as they continue providing administrative continuity that binds India together even today.
Patel managed to achieve this massive change without bloodshed in most cases, demonstrating his preference for persuasion over coercion. He told the Constituent Assembly that the new Constitution showed "not an alliance between democracies and dynasties, but a real Union of the Indian people". His commitment to democratic principles while achieving territorial integration represented a delicate balancing act that few leaders in history have managed successfully. We still honor his dream of a unified administration and territorial integrity on his birth anniversary, October 31, now celebrated as National Unity Day.
India celebrates National Unity Day, or Rashtriya Ekta Diwas, on October 31 since 2014. This date marks Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's birth anniversary with nationwide reverence, providing citizens a chance to reaffirm India's inherent strength and resilience against threats to unity and security. The "Run for Unity" serves as the lifeblood of these celebrations across India, bringing people from all walks of life together to run distances between three to ten kilometers. Participants pledge themselves to preserve national unity, integrity and security, transforming the observance from passive commemoration into active civic engagement.
The government created the prestigious Sardar Patel National Unity Award in 2019, with the President conferring this highest civilian honor among other Padma awards to recognize outstanding contributions toward promoting national unity. This recognition ensures that Patel's values of integration and national service continue inspiring contemporary Indians to work toward strengthening the nation's fabric.
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's 150th birth anniversary celebrations from 2024-2026 represent an unprecedented nationwide program designed to spread his lasting message to new generations. The "Sardar@150 Unity March" covers 152 kilometers from Patel's birthplace in Karamsad to the Statue of Unity in Kevadia, creating a symbolic journey that traces his geographic and spiritual connection to Gujarat. Youth participate through NSS, NCC, and MY Bharat platforms, showing how Patel's vision of "Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat" inspires new generations to embrace national unity as a personal responsibility.
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's legacy shows visionary leadership can achieve great things in extraordinary times. His diplomatic brilliance turned a scattered collection of princely states into one united India through persuasion, strategic thinking and firm action when needed. This remarkable feat continues to shape national identity today, seven decades after his work concluded. National Unity Day serves as more than just a ceremonial event—it provides an opportunity to think about the values Patel lived by: unity, integrity, and steadfast dedication to building the nation.
The "Run for Unity" events bring people together from all walks of life, showing how Patel's spirit lives on through a shared purpose of national integration. The 150th birth anniversary celebrations from 2024-2026 will spread Patel's lasting message to new generations, with young Indians connecting with his amazing story through the planned "Sardar@150 Unity March" from his birthplace to the Statue of Unity. They'll learn how a small-town lawyer became the architect of modern India, transforming disparate territories into a unified nation through vision, determination, and unwavering commitment.
The massive Statue of Unity in Kevadia stands as more than a tourist spot—it reminds us of Patel's huge impact on our nation's path. His dream of "Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat" remains as important now as we tackle today's challenges to our unity. We should keep drawing strength from the Iron Man's legacy, understanding that Sardar Patel proved through his extraordinary achievements that dialogue can build bridges and that a united nation can face any challenge. His birth anniversary helps us look back at our history and guides us toward our future as one nation, demonstrating that the task he began—keeping India whole, harmonious, and forward-looking—remains the perpetual responsibility of every generation of Indians.
(the writer can be reached at dipakkurmiglpltd@gmail.com)
