The Delhi government has announced a grand campaign named 'Sardar @150' to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of the Iron Man, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. Under this campaign, messages of national unity, cleanliness, drug-free living, and a self-reliant India (Atmanirbhar Bharat) will be spread across the capital throughout the months of October and November.
New Delhi: To commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of the Iron Man, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the Delhi government has announced a grand campaign named 'Sardar @150'. Under this campaign, messages of national unity, cleanliness, drug-free living, and a self-reliant India (Atmanirbhar Bharat) will be spread across the capital throughout the months of October and November.
Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood announced at a press conference on Tuesday that this campaign is being organized under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the leadership of Chief Minister Rekha Gupta. He said, "The spirit of the India Sardar Patel envisioned, bound together as one, will be rekindled nationwide through this campaign."
Campaign to Symbolize Unity Through Water Journey
Under this initiative, 150 students from Delhi's 15 educational districts will collect water from the Yamuna River and carry it to 25 major rivers across India. This journey, from the Jhelum River in Jammu and Kashmir to the Musi River in Hyderabad, will symbolize national unity. This water will later be brought back to Delhi and offered as an 'Abhishek' (ritual bathing) to Sardar Patel's statue at Patel Chowk. On October 31, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta herself will perform the 'Jalabhishek' (water consecration) of the statue with this water, marking it as a 'Water Pledge for National Unity'.
On the evening of October 31, a state-level Unity Foot March (Ekta Padayatra) will be organized in the capital. This march will commence from Patel Chowk and proceed to the National War Memorial, with approximately 5,000 participants. Volunteers from NSS, NCC, My Bharat, along with teachers, students, and general citizens, will participate. Additionally, from November 1 to 25, 150-kilometer long foot marches will be held across 10 districts of Delhi, led by Members of Parliament (MPs), ministers, Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs), and prominent community figures.
Grand Cultural Program at Red Fort
November 1 will also mark the Foundation Day of nine states, including Delhi. On this day, a grand cultural program and projection mapping show will be held at the Red Fort on the theme 'Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat – Atmanirbhar Bharat' (One India, Great India – Self-Reliant India). On this occasion, children and youth from Delhi will showcase glimpses of India's diverse culture and self-reliance.
A poster-making competition will be organized in 15 districts of Delhi in collaboration with the 'My Bharat' organization. Out of 10 children selected from each district, 150 children will be taken on a trip to the Statue of Unity (Gujarat). On November 26, Constitution Day, youth from across the country, along with NSS and NCC representatives, will participate in a national foot march in Gujarat. On this occasion, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya will address the youth.
Education Minister Ashish Sood stated, "'Sardar @150' is not just a tribute, but a call to inspire youth towards self-reliance, integrity, and patriotism. This campaign will demonstrate that Sardar Patel's India remains steadfast on the path of unity and development today."
