National Unity Day October 31, S.V. Patel's Birth Day

National Unity Day- October 31^st

The 139^th birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai patel (Iron Man) was celebrated at the heart of the National Capital as “National Unity Day” in 2014 by Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi, as a token of reverence with all the fanfare the great departed leader deserved. He also flagged off a “Run for Unity” to commemorate the birth of the unparalleled personality who had hitherto not been receiving the due official recognition owing to political reasons.

It seldom happens in the history of a country that on a single day of the month two icons are remembered. For example, the father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi and Lal Bahadur Shastri share their birthday, i.e. the 2^nd of October. Similarly one of the greatest leaders of all time of the first Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister of independent India Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s birth anniversary coincides with the death anniversary of the first women prime minister  Indira Gandhi , the 31^st of October. Both were leader’s par excellence darlings of millions of countrymen, though they represented two separate generations. Sardar patel was a contemporary of the latter’s father, the first Prime mister of India, Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru. All the aforementioned leaders have become part of the collective unconscious of the Indian people for their immense contribution to the nation-building efforts.

While nobody’s role can be called any more or less, Sardar Patel’s contribution can be called something special, because he symbolizes the untiring efforts and deft handling of the political affairs, would have remained a loose union of hundreds of fighting princely states, not a federation of democratic states owing allegiance to a constitutionally elected national government. Particularly, his contribution with regards to making the Nizam of Hyderabad and Nawab of Junagadh bow in favour of remaining with independent India is thought to be significant and has earned him the title of “Bismarck of India.” A close confidant of Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Patel is thought to be the Pillor of modern India as without his invaluable contribution the nationalistic ideals of our youth would nothave got strengthened. His simplicity and moral integrity made him the most reversed of his contemporaries for most selfless Indians.