‘Sardar@150’ Unity March ends at Statue of Unity with focus on youth, labour reforms and Atmanirbhar Bharat

The ‘Sardar@150’ Rashtriya Ekta Padyatra, organised to mark the 150th birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, concluded at the Statue of Unity in Ekta Nagar on Friday, after an 11-day march from Karamsad through Anand, Vadodara and Narmada districts.

Vice President C. P. Radhakrishnan presided over the closing ceremony, which was attended by Gujarat Governor Acharya Devvrat, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh, Ministers of State Raksha Khadse and Tokhan Sahu, and other public representatives and officials.

Placing the march in a broader policy context, Radhakrishnan said the Ekta Padyatra was not only a commemorative exercise but also a medium to reinforce the ideas of unity, duty and collective development. He recalled Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s role as India’s first Home Minister in integrating more than 560 princely states and said his approach to governance and nation-building remained relevant in contemporary debates on federalism and national integration.

The Vice President highlighted the scale of public mobilisation around the anniversary. According to him, more than 14 lakh young people participated in over 1,300 unity marches held across the country in association with the ‘Sardar@150’ programme. He said this response suggested that the message of “Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat” and “Atmanirbhar Bharat” continued to resonate with younger citizens.

Radhakrishnan also referred to recent policy measures such as the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, which provides for increased representation of women in legislatures, and the notification of four new labour codes. He said these changes were aimed at creating a more inclusive labour market framework, with an emphasis on equality, dignity and formalisation for workers. In his remarks, he linked these reforms to Sardar Patel’s longstanding engagement with farmers and labourers, and to Patel’s emphasis on agriculture as central to India’s social and economic fabric.

Stressing that around 65% of India’s population is below the age of 35, the Vice President described this demographic profile as a significant asset, provided it is supported by education, skills and healthy lifestyles. He urged young people to avoid substance abuse, participate in sports and community work, and contribute to national development with a sense of responsibility.

Governor Acharya Devvrat revisited the Bardoli Satyagraha, which he said was instrumental in shaping Patel’s leadership. He noted that Patel left a successful legal career to lead farmers’ resistance to colonial tax hikes, travelling extensively across Bardoli to build confidence among rural households. Devvrat described the Statue of Unity at Ekta Nagar as a contemporary symbol of national unity and a focal point for public events that seek to connect Patel’s legacy with present-day governance priorities.

Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel said the unity march had been aligned with key dates in the constitutional calendar, beginning on Constitution Adoption Day (26 November) and ending on Dr B. R. Ambedkar’s Mahaparinirvan Diwas (6 December). He reiterated the state’s position that measures such as the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir and the construction of the Statue of Unity reflected an attempt to strengthen “one nation, one Constitution”. The Chief Minister called upon participants to uphold the principle of “nation first” and to see the 150th birth anniversary as an opportunity to renew commitments to “Viksit Bharat @2047”.

Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, who walked the final 150-km stretch from Karamsad to Ekta Nagar over four days, said the march functioned as a “journey of ideas”, with 150 core walkers and several thousand youths and women joining for shorter segments. He pointed out that local communities along the route had participated by providing refreshments and showcasing natural farming practices, thereby linking the unity theme with messages on sustainable agriculture and rural livelihoods.

At the closing event, participants took a pledge to promote Swadeshi and support efforts towards an Atmanirbhar Bharat. Organisers said that, apart from its symbolic value, the march aimed to deepen citizen engagement around themes of national integration, environmental responsibility and youth participation. Since the inauguration of the Statue of Unity in 2018 and the institution of National Unity Day in 2014, such observances have become recurring platforms for the Centre and states to reiterate long-term development goals and the role of citizens—particularly young people—in achieving them.