Mail News Service
Jamshedpur, Oct 21: To mark the 150th birth anniversary of the Iron Man of India, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, a grand Unity March (Sardar/150 Padyatra) will be held in Jamshedpur as part of the nationwide Vikas Bharat Padyatra, organized by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports through My Bharat.
Addressing a press conference at his Bistupur office, Jamshedpur MP Bidyut Baran Mahato said the campaign aimed to strengthen the spirit of “One India, Best India” by fostering national pride, social responsibility, and unity among the youth. Inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of “Nation Building through People’s Participation,” the initiative encouraged youth engagement through various developmental and patriotic activities.
Mahato announced that district-level padyatras would be held in the Jamshedpur parliamentary constituency, featuring three-day marches covering 8–10 km each day. Prior to the march, schools and colleges would organize essay competitions, debates, seminars and street plays. Participants would take pledges for a Drug-Free India and a Proudly Swadeshi movement, alongside yoga sessions, health camps and cleanliness drives.
During the march, tributes would be paid to Sardar Patel’s statues, followed by cultural programs, the Self-Reliant India pledge and certificate distribution. Mahato emphasized that just as Sardar Patel unified a divided India, this campaign sought to unite today’s youth under the same vision.
He also informed that Union Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya recently launched the digital phase of My Bharat, which included a social media reel competition, essay contests and the Sardar/150 Young Leaders Program. Winners of this program would get the opportunity to participate in the National Padyatra, a 152-km journey from Karamsad (Patel’s birthplace) to the Statue of Unity, Kevadia, from November 26 to December 6, 2025.
Villages along the route would host social development programs, exhibitions and cultural events inspired by Sardar Patel’s legacy. Concluding his remarks, Mahato urged the youth of Jamshedpur the “Iron City” to join this historic movement and contribute actively to building a self-reliant and united India.
