Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi described unity in diversity as India’s fundamental strength while participating in the ‘Run for Unity’ at Kalinga Stadium Friday during Rashtriya Ekta Diwas celebrations marking Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s 150th birth anniversary.
Addressing the gathering organised by the Sports and Youth Affairs Department, Majhi said that unity, brotherhood and patriotism are the soul of India.
“We are all Indians, irrespective of caste, religion, or language. This self-awareness keeps us united and makes the country strong. Sardar Patel was such a great leader, who united hundreds of kings and built an integrated India,” he said.
The chief minister said that India is “one today due to the strong ideas and vision” of Sardar Patel, a freedom fighter who also served as the country’s first deputy prime minister and the home minister.
Rashtriya Ekta Diwas, also known as National Unity Day, is observed annually October 31 to commemorate his birth in 1875 at Karamsad in today’s Gujarat
Majhi appealed to all to work together to realise the dream of a developed India.
“This run is a symbol of that unity, harmony and patriotism,” he said.
In 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the ‘Run for Unity’ programme, and in 2018, a 182-metre-high ‘Statue of Unity’ of Sardar Patel was unveiled in Kevadia, Gujarat, which has become a symbol of Indian pride, he said.
On this occasion, state Sports Minister Suryavanshi Suraj said, “We have a responsibility to awaken the spirit of unity, harmony and patriotism and continuously move forward in building a strong India.”
Majhi also ran for a few meters after flagging off the marathon.
Leader of Opposition and former chief minister Naveen Patnaik also paid tribute to Sardar Patel.
“His immense contributions to the freedom struggle, his steely resolve to unite India and his vision of a strong, powerful country continue to inspire all of us. #SardarPatel #IronManOfIndia,” Patnaik said on X.
Humble tributes to #SardarVallabhbhaiPatel, popularly known as ‘Iron Man of India’, on his birth anniversary. His immense contributions to the freedom struggle, his steely resolve to unite India and his vision of a strong, powerful country continue to inspire all of us.… pic.twitter.com/d3Yw5jG7dm
— Naveen Patnaik (@Naveen_Odisha) October 31, 2025
The Odisha Police also celebrated ‘Rashtriya Ekta Diwas’ and organised ‘Run for Unity’.
