National Day of Unity 2021: Commemorating the legacy of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel

-

The National Day of Unity or Rashtriya Ekta Diwas is observed annually on 31 October to commemorate the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. This year marks the 146th birth anniversary of Patel, who was the first Home Minister of India and played a crucial role in the integration of princely states into the Union of India.

National Unity Day is marked to create awareness about the contribution of Patel to Indian history and honour his legacy.

When was Rashtriya Ekta Diwas first celebrated?

The Centre, in 2014, declared 31 October as National Unity Day to honour Patel and his legacy. The home ministry had said that the day would serve as a “reminder of the strength” of the country as well as highlight the resilience of the Indian state against the dangers posed against its “security, unity, and integrity”.

To honour memory of the Iron Man of India, a colossal statue of the freedom fighter was unveiled in 2018 near Vadodara, Gujarat, on the banks of the Narmada river.

The 182-metre-tall statue, the tallest in the world, is a major tourist attraction, with various attractions such as jungle safari, river rafting, night tourism and theme-based gardens. The site has received over 50 lakh visitors since its inauguration.

Celebrations this year:

So far, no theme has been declared for this year’s celebrations, according to NDTV. Every year, webinars, seminars and other events are organised to commemorate the legacy of Patel and his contribution to the nation.

Legacy of Patel:

A staunch adversary of the British, like many Patel too had joined the freedom struggle to help India gain independence from its colonial yoke. After the independence of India in 1947, he became the first home minister of the country.

Patel was one of the chief architects of the Union of India, having been given the responsibility of integrating the princely states. He drafted an instrument of accession, along with VP Menon, for the rulers of the 562 princely states to sign.

For the states which resisted joining India such as Hyderabad, Junagadh and Jodhpur, Patel employed a combination of military force and political skill to integrate them into the Union of India.



from Firstpost India Latest News https://ift.tt/3GCm0dH
FP Trending

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Both COVID-19 vaccine doses needed for good protection against B16172 variant

-
It’s been a concerning few weeks in the UK, with the B16172 variant first taking hold and then spreading to become dominant. This more infectious form of the virus, initially identified in India, is what we’re now going to have to live with – unless it is out-competed by another variant in the future. Worryingly, experts had predicted that B16172 might be able to escape some of the effects of vaccines, which if true would threaten to derail the UK’s plans to finish lifting restrictions from the end of June. However, Public Health England (PHE) has looked at the ability of various variants to evade immunity and says that the UK’s vaccines remain effective against the variants circulating, including B16172. On the surface, this looks like good news. But delve a bit deeper, and things get more complicated, says Paul Hunter, professor of medicine at the University of East Anglia. PHE’s research found a little drop-off in protection against B16172 among people who were fully vaccinated.
Read more

New coronavirus variant emerge in India: How should our COVID response change?

-
Image
After genome sequencing of over 10,000 COVID-19 cases in India, researchers have discovered a new variant with two new mutations which may be better at evading the immune system. In 15-20 percent of samples from the Indian state of Maharashtra (the state accounting for 62 percent of cases in the country) a new, double mutation in key areas of the virus has been detected. These are now known as the E484Q and L452R mutations. What makes the variant different? Both these mutations are concerning because they are located in a key portion of the virus – the spike protein – that it uses to penetrate human cells. Spike proteins attach via a “receptor binding domain”, meaning the virus can attach to receptors in our cells. These new mutations include changes to the spike protein that make it a “better fit” for human cells. This means the virus can gain entry more easily and multiply faster. Given what we have seen with other similar mutations , it might also make it harder for our immu
Read more

120 flights delayed, 30 trains running late; Delhi fog & cold wave continue to give shiver to travellers

-
Arrival and departure of 120 flights, both domestic and international, to Delhi airport were affected due to dense fog and cold wave conditions on Wednesday, according to Delhi Airport FIDS (Flight Information Display System). As per the Delhi Airport FIDS, a total of 53 flights, including 21 domestic arrivals, 16 domestic departures, 13 international departures and three international arrivals scheduled are cancelled and not operating due to fog and other operational reasons from and to Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport in the national capital on 17 January. #WATCH | Delhi: Several flight operations delayed at IGI airport due to low visibility amid fog. pic.twitter.com/hG1DUKllEt — ANI (@ANI) January 17, 2024 Visuals from the Delhi airport showed passengers waiting outside, checking update of their scheduled flights. There were also some people waiting for flight of their families, friends and loved ones to arrive, which got delayed due to fog. #WATCH | Delhi | Pas
Read more