Rijiju pays tribute to Sardar Patel on Rashtriya Ekta Diwas
Synopsis
On National Unity Day 2026, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju paid tribute to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, India's first Deputy PM who integrated over 500 princely states. Rashtriya Ekta Diwas has been observed on 31 October since 2014.
Key Takeaways
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju paid tribute to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on his birth anniversary, 31 October 2026 .
Patel served as India's first Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister , earning the title 'Iron Man of India'.
He oversaw the integration of more than 500 princely states into the Indian Union after independence in 1947 .
Rashtriya Ekta Diwas (National Unity Day) was formally instituted by the Government of India in 2014 on 31 October each year.
The day is marked nationally with unity runs, pledge ceremonies, and state-level commemorative events.
On the birth anniversary of the man who stitched a fractured subcontinent into one republic, Union Parliamentary Affairs and Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju offered his tributes to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on Saturday, 31 October 2026, as India observed Rashtriya Ekta Diwas — National Unity Day.
Rijiju wrote: 'My humble tributes to the Iron Man of India Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on his birth anniversary. Whole of India is eternally indebted to him for the unity and integrity of India.'
The man who unified over 500 princely states
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel served as India's first Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister after independence in 1947. The task that earned him the title 'Iron Man' was staggering in scale: the integration of more than 500 princely states into the newly born Indian Union — a diplomatic and political feat accomplished in months that would have taken most nations decades, if it happened at all. Without that consolidation, the map of South Asia could have fragmented into dozens of sovereign enclaves. The borders Indians take for granted today are, in no small part, Patel's handiwork.How Rashtriya Ekta Diwas came to be observed
In 2014, the Government of India formally instituted Rashtriya Ekta Diwas on 31 October each year to commemorate Patel's birth anniversary and to anchor a national conversation around unity and territorial integrity. The day is now marked with unity runs, pledge ceremonies, and state-level events across the country — a deliberate institutional effort to keep the memory of post-independence consolidation alive in public consciousness. Rijiju's tribute is part of a consistent pattern of official commemoration by Union ministers on this date, reflecting a broader governmental emphasis on historical figures associated with India's founding unity.Point of View
They serve a dual function: reinforcing a particular historical narrative and keeping national integration as a live political value. For a minister from Arunachal Pradesh — a frontier state whose own place in the Indian Union was shaped by exactly the kind of consolidation Patel engineered — the tribute carries a distinct geographic resonance.
NationPress
31 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is 31 October celebrated as Rashtriya Ekta Diwas?
31 October is Rashtriya Ekta Diwas (National Unity Day) because it marks the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel , India's first Deputy Prime Minister. The Government of India formally instituted the observance in 2014 to honour his role in uniting the country.
Why is Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel called the Iron Man of India?
Patel earned the title 'Iron Man of India' for his resolute leadership in integrating more than 500 princely states into the Indian Union after independence in 1947 — a task achieved through a combination of diplomacy and firm political will.
Who is Kiren Rijiju?
Kiren Rijiju is a senior BJP leader from Arunachal Pradesh who currently serves as India's Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Minister of Minority Affairs .
What happens on National Unity Day in India?
National Unity Day is observed with unity runs, pledge ceremonies, and state-level events across India. Union ministers and senior officials pay tributes to Sardar Patel, and the day is used to promote themes of national integration and territorial integrity.
When was Rashtriya Ekta Diwas first observed?
Rashtriya Ekta Diwas was formally instituted by the Government of India in 2014 and has been observed on 31 October every year since then.
