Sardar Patel is back. The leader from Gujarat , whose statue was to have been taller than the Statue of Liberty and for which Prime Minister Narendra Modi had sought pieces of iron from all over India, will be feted on his birth anniversary on October 31, as part of week-long celebrations. The PM will release a commemorative stamp at a programme to be held at India Gate on the day, besides an Ekta Pledge and flagging off a 'Unity Run'. A digital film on the life of Sardar Patel will also be released by Modi at a programme to be organised by the Ministry of Culture at Pragati Maidan.
The Jayanti of the 'Iron Man of India' and 'Unifier of India' will be celebrated across the country for a week from October 31, the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, a government release said. It, however, said nothing about the statue.
Last year, the government had decided to observe Sardar Patel Jayanti Day as 'Ekta Diwas'. Celebrations will go on till November 6. In all government offices, an 'Ekta Pledge' will be administered on October 31. Essay writing, elocution, painting and slogan writing competitions will be held in schools and colleges. Central ministers will visit different parts of the country during the week, garlanding Patel statues and holding public meetings.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh has also written to all the chief ministers suggesting to organise appropriate programmes recalling the life and works of the Sardar.
British PM to visit India
British Prime Minister Theresa May will visit India from November 6 to 8 accompanied by a business delegation. This will be her first bilateral visit outside Europe. She will hold talks with Narendra Modi and review all aspects of India-UK Strategic Partnership. The Joint Economic and Trade Committee meeting will be held on the sidelines of the visit. During the visit, May and Modi will inaugurate the India-UK Tech Summit in New Delhi jointly hosted by the Confederation of Indian Industry and the Department of Science and Technology. The Summit will be an opportunity for the two sides to strengthen business-to-business engagement in the areas of technology, entrepreneurship and innovation, design, intellectual property rights, and higher education. The two sides had agreed to hold the Summit during Modi's visit to the UK in November 2015. A discussion on Brexit is likely to be centre-stage.
Haryana's golden jubilee celebrations
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will pay a visit to Gurgaon or Gurugram on Tuesday to attend Haryana's golden jubilee celebrations. Government officials are busy preparing for the mega event. The venue, Tau Devi Lal Stadium, has been given a facelift. While Gurgaon residents are delighted to see beautification work in the city being fast-tracked, smooth traffic movement on a working day is the biggest priority for the administration.
