‘Nobody can break India’s integrity’

Kevadia: The world’s tallest statue, Statue of Unity, which honours Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s contribution in making of modern India, has sent out a message to the world that India has a bright future and no one can dare to fracture the country’s unity and integrity, Union home minister Amit Shah said on Sunday.
In Kevadia to commemorate the 146th birth anniversary of Sardar Patel on National Unity Day, Shah said the Iron Man’s vision will continue to inspire generations to come and help India prosper.
Shah also slammed the opposition, saying that efforts were made to obliterate Sardar Patel’s mammoth efforts to unite India from several princely states after Independence.
“It is unfortunate that efforts were made to forget Sardar Saheb. After Independence, his contributions were never given due respect and place. He was not conferred the Bharat Ratna. But it is said, how long can clouds keep the sun hidden,” he said.
“The 'Statue of Unity' is a message to the entire world that nobody can break India's unity and integrity and nobody can tamper with India's universality,” he said, adding that Kevadia has become “a pilgrimage of India's unity, nationality, and patriotism.”
Invoking Chanakya, who consolidated the Maurya empire, the home minister said, “At one time, Acharya Chanakya united India. Centuries later, Sardar Saheb united India. It is the result of this that the country is today proudly strengthening its place in the world. A leader like Sardar Patel is born once in centuries and inspires people for centuries” he said.
Recalling Patel's contribution to unite India by bringing together some of the princely states, Shah said nobody has paid attention to his contribution to make Lakshadweep a part of India.
“When India became independent on August 15, Sardar Sahib sent the Indian Naval Ship Tir to Lakshadweep. A few hours after the Indian Navy unfurled the tricolour, Pakistani ships reached there. But, by that time, the tricolour was unfurled. It is because of this that Lakshadweep is a part of India, and a large part of India's coastline is secured from there,” Shah said.
Shah said the government's decision to celebrate October 31 as the 'Rashtriya Ekta Diwas' was taken so that Sardar Patel's struggles for Independence and his perseverance in uniting the country continues to inspire people for centuries.
The statue is a true homage to Sardar Patel by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had conceived the idea of the world's tallest structure, Shah said.
Due to Modi's efforts to bring the country's 60 crore poor into the mainstream, they have become connected to the country's development process, Shah said.
“Modi ji has set a target of a five trillion dollar economy, secure India, educated India as per the new education policy, and a target for the pride of our languages. Today, on the Rashtriya Ekta Diwas, we should take a pledge to make the country strong and as per the dreams of Sardar Patel, by walking on the path shown by him,” he said.