Chaibasa, Oct. 31: Chief Minister Raghubar Das led a mass oath taking ceremony along with thousands of participants in the Run for Unity organized to commemorate the 141st birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel here at the Chaibasa Sports Association Football Stadium on Monday.
The CM, along with Tribal Advisory Committee member J B Tubid and MP Laxman Gilua jointly flagged off the marathon Run for Unity.
He also took part in the Run for Unity and ran up to one and half kilometer with the participants.
While addressing the huge gathering, the CM said that what ‘Iron Man’ Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel deserved was not conferred on him during his life time.
“Sardar Patel worked for the unity of country. Despite the diverse culture, ethnicity and numerous languages, he united our country.
He played a pivotal role to make a ‘Great India’. After Chanakya, Iron Man was the second personality to unite India and establish it on the highest pedestal. We must pledge to unite our states and secure the integrity of our country,” he said.
Das said that women and farmers of Bardoli had conferred the title of Sardar on Iron man during the 1929 movement.
Sardar Patel merged 560 small kingdoms with India diplomatically and wisely without causing any bloodshed. He died in the year 1950. Had there been a leader like him, there would have been no problem in Kashmir, he said.
The CM added that Kashmir is an integral part of India and it would remain so. He further said we must salute our martyred jawans and our army as we are safe because of their sacrifices.
The CM explained how the extremists had created trouble to establish a police station at Gudri and how the treat was thwarted by the villagers and how a new police station was set up with the support of the villagers.
We have to fulfill the dream of Sardar Patel and we have to create a greater India. The foreign forces are trying to destabilizing India and we must diffuse their mala fide efforts.
We find similarities in the thought of our Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel. Das further wished the people of the state for Govardhan Puja and Bhaiyya Dooj and announced that over one lakh LPG cylinders would be distributed among the females of the state and 2.26 lakh LPG cylinders would be given within the year.
He also announced further that 6 lakh cylinders would be distributed within next three years.
MP Laxman Gilua said that despite the unanimous decision in favour of Sardar Patel, he was not sworn in as the Prime Minister of India. However, serving as the Home minister of India Patel transformed the country considerably, he said.
Among those present at the event included DC Dr Shantanu Kumar Agrahori, DIG Sambhu Thakur, SP Dr Michael Raj, 20 Point Committee vice president Sanju Pandey, Nagar parishad president Neela Nag, and the people from various organization and students.