Small contributions that we all can do as Indians tostrengthen the unity on this Rashtriya Ekta Diwas or National Unity Day

Rashtriya Ekta Diwas – If you are not aware of National Unity Day then you must read this blog post till the end. In India, we celebrate a lot of days (both national and International) and here is yet another day to add to the list. But, before we go on explaining about this day, we want to tell you that this is a very important day that needs to be celebrated on a bigger level for deeper impacts on the lives of Indians. Each year, this day is celebrated with a different theme. The theme for National Unity Day 2023 is yet not confirmed but just like the previous 9 years, the government is surely going to come up with some amazing theme for this day.

Keep reading this blog for all the information of this day.

Date – The National Unity Day falls on October 31st each year. It is also called as Rashtriya Ekta Diwas.

This Day – This day is celebrated to commemorate the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. He was India’s first Deputy Prime Minister of India and first Home Minister of India from 1947 to 1950. He is also called the “Iron Man of India”. He was a lawyer, political leader, and statesman.

Reason – This day is celebrated on his birthday because he believed in the unity of people for the country’s advancements. He had made a major contribution towards India’s Independence and unity. This is the reason why his birthday is chosen as the day to celebrate the Rashtriya Ekta Diwas. He was very big on the country’s unity and there could be no other day better than this day for celebrating this occasion. He preached unity during the time when our country was split into princely states & British India. He was the one who had played a prominent role in forming states and bringing them together.

History – This day was introduced by the government of India in 2014 for the first time. The prime reason was to pay tribute & mark the immense contributions of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel to the country. His birthday was chosen as this day. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the first-ever Rashtriya Ekta Diwas event in New Delhi. That year, the theme for this event was “Run For Unity”.

Importance – The National Unity Day depicts the country’s strength and resilience by upholding unity, integrity and neighbourhood. Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel was successful in persuading all 565 self-governing princely states to accede to India after getting independence from British colonial rule. So, this day has become an important day for our country as a whole.

How is it celebrated nationally – On a national level, there are a lot of ways in which this day is celebrated. Different kinds of events are organised on this day as per the theme. Also, everything begins with a floral tribute to the statue of Sardar Patel at Patel Chowk, New Delhi. This is an annual tradition. The first event in the first year was ‘Run for Unity’. The “Run for Unity” program is organised in major cities and rural areas where students from schools, colleges, universities, and educational institutes participate in the program. This run starts from Vijay Chowk to India Gate on the Rajpath in the morning, each year, on this day.

Another event happens at the government offices, public sectors and public institutions. The event at these places starts by holding a pledge-taking ceremony and they have to take the National Unity Pledge.

There is also a third event which is a march pass by the police, including scouts, guides, NCC, NSS etc. This event is conducted in major cities and district towns.

These days, this day is also celebrated in the schools and colleges. Students are insisted on taking part in the day’s activities and they are expected to raise awareness about the day through posters, slogans, and other things.

An additional activity also includes the government organising the Sardar Patel National Unity Award to honour & mark the valuable contributions of individuals towards national unity & integrity.

Important Achievements – To make this day even grander, the government of India inaugurated the world’s tallest statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. The name of the statue is the Statue of Unity. This statue is 182 metres high and is situated near the Narmada River in Gujarat. It has now become an important tourist spot in the country. This is the 8th wonder of the world. The very famous Indian sculptor,  Mr. Ram V. Sutar has designed this statue.

In 2019, PM Narendra Modi conducted the Rashtriya Ekta Diwas pledge at the Statue of Unity. A unity parade was conducted by several police contingents of the nation to pay tribute to Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel.

1. Think ‘above’ the caste system

One of the biggest issues that our country is facing is the caste system. Most of the fights and the differences between us are because of the caste system itself. Lately, we have divided groups because of caste and culture. India is a land of varied traditions, cultures, and castes. Since always, people from different cultures have been safely living in our country. But, the caste system still prevails and it surely creates differences between the individuals. As the new generation, we need to think above the caste system and teach our elders about the same as well. Bridging the gap between different castes is where we will come out united.

2. Co-existing with ease

Following up with the fact that the caste system is required to be removed from our thought process, we need to teach our minds and everyone in our lives to co-exist freely. By co-exist, we mean we need to normalise the fact that there is no difference between people of any caste, any race, and any social standards. Getting rid of such kinds of thoughts is the only way to be united in the real sense. When we say unity between the countrymen, we do not mean during the time of the Indian Cricket Match only. We mean from the bottom of our hearts in all senses.

3. Celebrating all Indian festivals

By celebrating all the Indian festivals, we mean normalising the fact that if a person from any other religion is celebrating a festival of a different religion, there is nothing to make a big deal about it. It should be seen as normal, practised more, and taught more to future generations. In fact, not only to the future generations, but this needs to be taught to our parents and our grandparents. As woke individuals we need to do this on a personal level and the result will come out on a national level. There are a lot of things that even our parents and grandparents need to unlearn and replace with new and better learnings.

4. Normalising Inter-Caste Marriages

Well, this is something that is getting better in our country by the day and we are very proud about it. But, still, there are families who are against it. There are rural areas where such things are banned or looked down upon. There are families who agree to it under the pressure of their kids but are not happy because they do not feel this is morally correct. These thought processes need to end with a better understanding of the different cultures. As individuals of the current generation, we can sit down with our parents to explain these things and help them overcome such mindsets.

Conclusion

It is going to be 9 years since India is celebrating the Rashtriya Ekta Diyas officially. The goal of this day is pretty simple and it is all about reasserting Indians’ shared togetherness. As Indians, this day has a deeper impact on our lives, even more than we can think. In the times when political influence is so much, we need to come out as united Indians because that is the need of the hour. If not bigger things, we can collectively do these small things on a regular basis and we can ensure that these smaller things will play a bigger role in the country’s unity. It is very important to think collectively and take action together. On that note, we wish all the Indians a very Happy National Unity Day.

Rashtriya Ekta Diwas – If you are not aware of National Unity Day then you must read this blog post till the end. In India, we celebrate a lot of days (both national and International) and here is yet another day to add to the list. But, before we go on explaining about this day,…