Puducherry: Lt Governor, Home Minister flag off solidarity run on National Unity Day

Puducherry [India], October 31 (ANI): Puducherry Lieutenant Governor Tamilisai Soundarrajan and Home Minister Namachivayam on Monday flagged off a solidarity run on Puducherry Beach Road on the occasion of National Unity Day. More than 500 students participated in the event.
Lt. Governor Tamilisai Soundarrajan and Home Minister Namachivayam graced the function held near the Gandhi Statue on Puducherry Beach Road on the occasion of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's birthday.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a gathering on the occasion of the 147th birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (National Unity Day) in Gujarat's Ekta Nagar. PM Modi said, "What would have happened if India did not have leadership like Sardar Patel? What would have happened if more than 550 princely states had not been united? If most of our kings had not shown the culmination of renunciation, then we would not have been able to imagine India we are seeing today. Sardar Patel has achieved this work."
Prime Minister said millions of people in India had to wait for decades for basic needs. He said the smaller the gap in infrastructure, the stronger the unity.
He further said, "Like, in the past, forces that were perturbed due to India's progress exist today too. They make attempts to break and divide us. Narratives are created to pit us against each other in the name of castes. Attempts are made to divide us in the name of regions. Many times these forces rest in our minds in the form of a slavery mentality. Sometimes these come in the form of appeasement, sometimes in the form of familism and sometimes in the form of greed and corruption."
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also paid floral tribute to Sardar Patel at the Statue of Unity on Rashtriya Ekta Diwas.
Prime Minister Modi also witnessed the Rashtriya Ekta Diwas Parade which included contingents of the Border Security Force (BSF) and five State Police Forces, one each from the Northern Zone (Haryana), Western Zone (Madhya Pradesh), Southern Zone (Telangana), Eastern Zone (Odisha) and North Eastern Zone (Tripura). Apart from the contingents, six Police Sports Medal winners of the Commonwealth Games 2022 also participated in the Parade.

Earlier on Sunday, Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami flagged off and then also took part in Dehradun Marathon 2022 organised by Uttarakhand Police.
The founder of the Hans Foundation, Mata Mangala was also present on the occasion.
Dehradun Marathon was organized on Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's birthday, known as National Unity Day along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's commitment to realize the dream of Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat and Uttarakhand Chief Minister's campaign to make Devbhoomi drug free by 2025.
The theme for Dehradun Marathon was RUN FOR UNITY and RUN AGAINST DRUGS.
Speaking on the occasion, Dhami said, "Today we resolve to make the state drug-free by 2025. We resolve to create awareness about the ill effects of drugs among all, especially the youth."
Since 2014, October 31, the birthday of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel has been celebrated as National Unity Day to celebrate his efforts and contributions in convincing several princely states to align with the Indian Union. (ANI)