Additional Secretary for Youth Resources and Sports, Anthony Ngully, NCS, on Monday flagged off the Unity Run in Kohima to commemorate the 147th birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, India’s first home minister.

The Run started from the Second World War tank area and ended at the NSF office premises in the state capital.

Anthony, in a short speech, highlighted how the ‘Iron Man of India’ united India when it was divided into many princely states.

He also administered the pledge of the National Unity Day which reads:

“I solemnly pledge that I dedicate myself to preserving the unity, integrity, and security of the nation and also strive hard to spread this message among my fellow countrymen. I take this pledge in the spirit of the unification of my country which was made possible by the vision and actions of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. I also solemnly resolve to make my own contribution to ensure the internal security of my country.”

The programme was conducted in collaboration with the Department of Youth Resources and Sports, Nagaland, which saw participation from National Service Scheme (NSS), Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS) and volunteers.

Monday’s run was combined with the programme to mark the culmination of Clean India Campaign 2.0.

Earlier, to mark the day, the participants also cleaned up the litter in the WW II Tank surroundings in Kohima.

The National Unity Day or Rashtriya Ekta Diwas is celebrated every year on 31 October, the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, to pay tribute to him for his extraordinary work in keeping India united. The first ‘Run for Unity’ event was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi in 2014.