The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports will commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of India’s first Home Minister and iconic freedom fighter Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on October 31 by organizing ‘padyatras’ across all districts of the country.
Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Mansukh Mandaviya and Minister of State for Defence Nikhil Khadse jointly launched the ‘Sardar@150’ Unity Run initiative at the Dhyan Chand Stadium in New Delhi on Monday.
- “Sardar@150 is not merely a commemoration but a national movement to engage youth in nation-building. Just as Sardar Patel united over 560 princely states to forge a strong and united India, this initiative seeks to channel the energy of young Indians towards strengthening national unity,” Mandaviya said.
The padyatras will be held from October 31 to November 25, with three-day events in every parliamentary constituency, covering 8 to 10 km daily.
“All 779 districts of India will participate in these padyatras to honour Sardar Patel’s memory and his unmatched contribution to national integration,” Mandaviya added.
When asked about participation from opposition-ruled states, including West Bengal which has been affected by floods, the minister clarified that the initiative is “beyond politics.”
- “This has got nothing to do with politics, and I am sure there will be wholehearted participation irrespective of who is in power,” he said.
The padyatras will be led by Union Cabinet Ministers, Members of Parliament, and supported by volunteers from My Bharat, NSS, and NCC, who will assist in organising logistics and cleanliness drives during the event.
At the national level, a special padyatra will be organised from November 26 to December 6, covering 152 km from Sardar Patel’s birthplace, Karamsad in Gujarat, to the Statue of Unity in Kevadia — the world’s tallest statue built in his honour.
A group of 150 young leaders, selected through a national-level quiz competition, will participate in this symbolic padyatra celebrating the legacy of the Iron Man of India.
