PM Modi dedicates Statue of Unity to the Nation

Ahmadabad, 31 Oct (Only Kashmir): The Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated 182 metre statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s statue, the ‘Statue of Unity’ world’s tallest statue to the nation here on Thursday on the occasion of latter’s birthday anniversary at Kevadiya in Narmada District of Gujarat.
At the launch ceremony, the Prime Minister and other dignitaries’ poured soil and Narmada water into a Kalash to mark the dedication of the ‘Statue of Unity’ to the nation. The Prime Minister pressed a lever to commence a Virtual Abhishek of the statue.
He inaugurated the Wall of Unity. At the feet of the Statue of Unity, the Prime Minister performed a special prayer. He visited the Museum and Exhibition, and the Viewers’ Gallery. This gallery, at 153 metres height, can accommodate upto 200 visitors at one time. It offers a spectacular view of the Sardar Sarovar Dam, its reservoir, and the Satpura and Vindhya mountain ranges.
The dedication ceremony was punctuated by flypast of IAF aircraft, and performances of cultural troupes.



Greeting the people of India on this occasion, the Prime Minister said that the entire country is celebrating Rashtriya Ekta Divas today.
He said today marks a special moment in the history of India. He said that with the Statue of Unity, India has given itself today, a towering inspiration for the future. He said the Statue will continue to remind future generations of the courage, capability and resolve of Sardar Patel. He said that the integration of India by Sardar Patel, has resulted today in India’s march towards becoming a big economic and strategic power.
The Prime Minister also recalled Sardar Patel’s vision of the administrative services as a steel frame.
He described the Statue of Unity as a symbol of the self-respect of the farmers who gave soil from their land, and iron from their farming implements for the Statue. He said the aspirations of the youth of India can be achieved only through the mantra of “Ek Bharat, Shrestha Bharat.” He congratulated everyone associated with the construction of this Statue. He said the Statue would generate considerable tourism opportunities for the region.
The Prime Minister mentioned that several memorials have been made to recall the contributions of freedom fighters and great leaders, in recent years. Besides the Statue of Unity, he mentioned the museum dedicated to Sardar Patel in Delhi, Mahatma Mandir and Dandi Kutir in Gandhinagar, the Panchtirth dedicated to Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar, the Statue of Sri Chhotu Ram in Haryana, and the memorials of Shyamji Krishna Varma and Veer Nayak Govind Guru in Kutch. He said work is in progress for the museum dedicated to Subhash Chandra Bose in Delhi, the Shivaji statue in Mumbai, and tribal museums across the country.
The Prime Minister spoke of Sardar Patel’s vision of a strong and inclusive India, and said the Union Government is working towards making this dream a reality. He mentioned the efforts to provide a home to all, to provide electricity to all, and towards road connectivity and digital connectivity. He also mentioned the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana. He said that efforts such as GST, e-NAM, and “One-Nation, One-Grid” have also contributed to integrating the nation in various ways.
The Prime Minister spoke of our collective responsibility to maintain the unity and integrity of the nation, and to counter all divisive forces.
Who is Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
Vallabhbhai Patel (31 October 1875 – 15 December 1950), popularly known as Sardar Patel, was the first Deputy Prime Minister of India. He was an Indian barrister and statesman, a senior leader of the Indian National Congress and a founding father of the Republic of India who played a leading role in the country’s struggle for independence and guided its integration into a united, independent nation. In India and elsewhere, he was often called Sardar, Chief in Hindi, Urdu, and Persian. He acted as de facto Supreme Commander-in-chief of the Indian army during the political integration of India and the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947.



Patel was born and raised in the countryside of Gujarat. He was a successful lawyer. He subsequently organised peasants from Kheda, Borsad, and Bardoli in Gujarat in non-violent civil disobedience against the British Raj, becoming one of the most influential leaders in Gujarat. He rose to the leadership of the Indian National Congress, organising the party for elections in 1934 and 1937 while promoting the Quit India Movement.
As the first Home Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of India, Patel organised relief efforts for refugees fleeing from Punjab and Delhi and worked to restore peace. He led the task of forging a united India, successfully integrating into the newly independent nation those British colonial provinces that had been “allocated” to India. Besides those provinces that had been under direct British rule, approximately 565 self-governing princely states had been released from British suzerainty by the Indian Independence Act of 1947. Threatening military force, Patel persuaded almost every princely state to accede to India. His commitment to national integration in the newly independent country was total and uncompromising, earning him the sobriquet “Iron Man of India”. He is also remembered as the “patron saint of India’s civil servants” for having established the modern all-India services system. He is also called the “Unifier of India”.