Ekta Nadige
Chitradurga
To mark the 150th birth anniversary of India’s first Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, a Unity Walk (Ekta Nadige) will be held in Chitradurga city on November 12 at 8 a.m. from Kanaka Circle to Challakere Gate. MP Govind Karjol urged citizens to participate and make the event a grand success. Speaking at a press conference, he said the nationwide campaign, launched by Union Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya on October 6, aims to spread Patel’s message of national integration and unity.
Karjol emphasised that Patel, known as the “Iron Man of India,” believed in an indivisible nation and played a decisive role in uniting fragmented princely states. The ongoing campaign encourages youth participation through social media, competitions, and awareness activities promoting Patel’s ideals. Between October 31 and November 25, unity walks are being held across districts in India.
In Chitradurga, students, NCC and NSS volunteers, social and religious organisations, retired officers, ex-servicemen, and athletes will take part. Ahead of the walk, schools and colleges will organise debates, essays, and discussions on Patel’s life, along with a pledge for a drug-free India.
A Swadeshi fair, yoga and health camps, cleanliness drives, street plays, and the “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam” environmental campaign will also be held. Five selected participants from each district will walk to Patel’s birthplace, Karamsad, culminating in a symbolic 152 km unity march to the Statue of Unity at Kevadia on November 26, Constitution Day.