Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Tuesday, 27 October flagged off a special train from Bhubaneswar New Railway Station carrying nearly 1,000 delegates from 19 Naxal-free districts of Odisha to Gujarat, where they will participate in the national unity parade on 31 October — the 151st birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Rashtriya Ekta Diwas. The delegation will march near the iconic Statue of Unity at Ekta Nagar, symbolising the state's strides towards peace, security and development.

Tribute to Sardar Patel

Paying homage to the Iron Man of India, Chief Minister Majhi recalled that the country's first Deputy Prime Minister had forged a unified nation by integrating more than 550 princely states through exceptional leadership and sheer resolve. He noted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been observing Patel's birth anniversary as Rashtriya Ekta Diwas every year since assuming office in 2014, underscoring the event's continued national significance.

Naxal-Free Odisha: A Milestone on Display

Majhi asserted that this year's national-level unity parade will project the image of a completely Naxal-free India. He credited the achievement to the leadership of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the guidance of the Prime Minister, and the sustained efforts of security forces at both the national and state levels. Sending delegates from the very districts once gripped by Left-Wing Extremism is, in effect, a symbolic declaration of transformation.

Notably, the 19 districts represented on the train were previously considered Naxal-affected, making their participation in a national security and unity parade a pointed statement about the changed ground reality.

Development Push in Former Naxal Belts

'Highest priority is being given to social and economic development along with infrastructure construction in Naxal-affected areas,' Majhi said. He specifically highlighted the 'Gramodaya Plus' scheme, through which public welfare programmes are being delivered to beneficiaries in 10 affected districts in an integrated manner, helping residents enter the mainstream. The Chief Minister framed these efforts as part of the collective national goal of 'Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat', shared by India's 140 crore citizens.

New Train Service for Six Odisha Districts

On the sidelines of the flag-off, Majhi also announced that the Centre has approved a new express train service connecting Puri and Badampahar in Mayurbhanj district. President Droupadi Murmu is scheduled to inaugurate the service in the first week of November. The route is expected to improve rail connectivity across six districts — Puri, Khordha, Kataka, Jajpur, Kendujhar and Mayurbhanj — strengthening the state's transport network.

With the Rashtriya Ekta Diwas parade set for 31 October and a new train inauguration expected in early November, Odisha appears to be leveraging two back-to-back national moments to spotlight its post-Naxal development narrative.