The Indian community in Auckland had gathered together at the Mahatma Gandhi Centre, on Sunday, October 29, to celebrate Rashtriya Ekta Diwas and pay tribute to one of its greatest sons and the leader of India’s freedom struggle against British colonial rule – Sardar Patel.
Since 2014, the Government of India has declared to celebrate the birthday of Sardar Patel on October 31 as Rashtriya Ekta Diwas or National Unity Day, to foster and reinforce the government's dedication to preserve and strengthen the unity of the Indian nation.
Vallabh Bhai Patel – as he was fondly called Sardar Patel by the people of India for his dynamic leadership and commitment to the cause of India’s independence from the British rule during the first half of the twentieth century is considered one of the founding fathers of the Republic of India.
It was his exemplary role as the first Home Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of independent India, in uniting 550 odd small princely states into the newly constituted Republic of India that his birth anniversary is being celebrated as National Unity Day.
The Government of India had been taking the lead in organising several events and cultural program all around the country to inculcate sentiments of bonding and nation-building among its citizenry.
The intent is to inspire people to overcome barriers on the basis of caste, religion, sex, creed, language, region or ethnicity amongst them and unite everyone together into one nation.
State governments, central ministries and PSUs have been asked to organise 'Run for Unity', digital exhibitions, drawing competitions while the Railways will put up hoardings with messages of Patel in 100 railway stations across the country.
Indian High Commission in New Zealand has taken an initiative to organise an event for the first time in Auckland to celebrate Rashtriya Ekta Diwas.
Indian diaspora around the world utilises this opportunity to overcome their regional, linguistic and cultural barriers and forge a sense of unity and pride about their common Indian heritage and reemphasise their cultural roots back with India.
It is also seen as an opportunity to celebrate and inculcate a sense of pride about the Indian identity within the newer generations of the global Indian diaspora.
Towards this goal, the celebrations at Auckland succeeded in ticking all boxes, where people from all walks of life including, elderly, women, children, professionals, Members of Parliament and prominent community leaders participated enthusiastically.
The event was well attended by major community organisations including Auckland Indian Association and New Zealand Indian Central Association (NZICA).
Prominent among those who attended the event were National Party List MP Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi, former MP Mahesh Bindra, and well-known community leaders including Harshad Patel, Bhikhu Bhana, Prakash Biradar and Thakor Bhai Prabhu.
Bhav Dhillon, Honorary Consul of India, was the Chief Guest of the event.
Speaking at the occasion, Mr Dhillon, spoke eloquently about the contribution of Sardar Patel towards India’s independence movement and nation-building.
Mr Dhillon also emphasised that Rashtriya Ekta Diwas was a great opportunity for the members of the Indian diaspora in New Zealand to reconnect with their Indian roots and acknowledge the importance of freedom-movement and its leaders in developing today’s vibrant modern India.
National Party MP Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi, emphasised to value the contribution of leaders who fought for the freedom and independence of the Indian nation.
Indeed, the star attraction of the Rashtriya Ekta Diwas event was the young children who spoke on occasion about Sardar Patel, and some of his famous quotes, to demonstrate that the younger generations of the global Indian diaspora are equally informed and passionate about the great leaders of Indian history.
Vallabh Bhai Patel – as he was fondly called Sardar Patel by the people of India for his dynamic leadership and commitment to the cause of India’s independence from the British rule during the first half of the twentieth century, continues to inspire generations of Indians living in India and overseas.
The High Commission of India is committed to making this event an annual affair from the next year with a better engagement with the wider community and organising on a bigger scale.
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