Itanagar: Arunachal Pradesh Governor Brig (Retd) B D Mishra on Sunday called upon the people of the state and country to be disciplined and united for the overall development and progress of the nation.
“We have to be united, disciplined, follow the constitution and law, and most importantly perform our fundamental duties as enshrined in the Constitution of India,” the governor said while addressing an event at Raj Bhawan on the birth anniversary of first deputy Prime Minister and home minister of India, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
The governor called upon the people to emulate the dedication and sacrifices of Sardar Patel and be inspired by his virtues and visions.
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was one of the greatest freedom fighters and the main uniting force of ‘Independent India’, he said.
Recalling the separatist tendencies of the Princely States of Hyderabad, Junagrah and Kashmir in the country after Independence in 1947, the governor said that Sardar Patel with his courageous, resolute and well-timed decisions managed to successfully unite different parts of the country into the Indian Union.
Mishra further said Prime Minister Narendra Modi introduced the Rashtriya Ekta Diwas (National Unity Day) on Sardar Patel’s birthday in 2014 to remind the people of India about our great nationalist, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
“This Ekta Diwas is a reminder of Sardar Patel’s strong patriotism, ideals, values and beliefs,” he said.
The Governor on the occasion administered the Rashtriya Ekta pledge to the officers and staff of Raj Bhavan and appealed to the people to live up to the pledge and act as a patriotic force for ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’.
Mishra along with First Lady Neelam Misra, officials of Raj Bhavan and the ITBP troops also paid floral tributes to the portrait of Sardar Patel.
Earlier in the morning, the Governor flagged off the ‘Run for Unity’ event to spread and promote spirit of unity and oneness amongst the people.
A large number of people, including the ITBP personnel participated in the run which saw Havaldar Lamb Dutta and constables Walter Lakra, Govind Das and Md Muftar receive token prizes for coming first, second, third and fourth respectively in the event.
The Rashtriya Ekta Diwas was also celebrated at the civil secretariat here.
To commemorate the occasion, chief secretary Naresh Kumar administered the National Unity Day to the officers and officials of the secretariat.
The pledge was administered to foster and reinforce the dedication to preserve and strengthen the unity, integrity and security of our nation, a press release from the chief secretary’s office said.
The Rajiv Gandhi University (RGU) also joined the rest of the state and nation in celebrating the 146th birth anniversary of Sardar Patel.
The university organized a special cleanliness drive as part of Swachhta Mission at the Doimukh market and its nearby areas in the morning while the Run for Unity event that followed later saw more than 300 people participate in it.
The participants of the Run for Unity carried several placards that displayed messages related to unity, peace and brotherhood and the other ideals of Sardar Patel.
The Regional Outreach Bureau, Itanagar (Ministry of Information and Broadcasting) organized a special outreach programme to celebrate National Unity Day at the Government Middle School in Niti Vihar.
Literary and painting competitions among the students were other highlights of the day.
The 13 battalion of CRPF deployed at Senki View also celebrated the day at its campus.
Addressing the occasion, 138 Bn Commandant Kunwar Singh spoke on the importance of the day.
A unity pledge taking ceremony and run for unity marked the day.
Rashtriya Ekta Diwas was also celebrated in several places across the state including Aalo and Khonsa, the headquarters of West Siang and Tirap district respectively.
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