Sardar Patel’s 150th birth anniversary celebrated
Ongole: Prakasam district officials, students, and the public celebrated the 150th birth anniversary of freedom fighter, former home minister of India, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, on Friday.
Prakasam district collector P Raja Babu, joint collector R Gopala Krishna, DRO Chinna Obulesu, and other officials paid rich floral tributes to the photograph of Patel. They hailed the services of Patel, who unified the princely states into the country and fortified it. At the district police office, Prakasam SP V Harshavardhan Raju led the grand celebration of ‘Rashtriya Ekta Divas’ (National Unity Day), commemorating Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s birth anniversary. The SP paid floral tributes to Patel’s portrait and lauded his exceptional services in unifying India. He described Patel’s life as an inspiration, highlighting his tireless work for national integrity and defence after Independence. He said that despite diverse ethnicities, languages, and geographies, Patel’s relentless efforts kept India united. The SP administered a unity pledge to police personnel, committing to uphold national unity, integrity, and security, and to spread this message among fellow citizens, and flagged off the ‘Run for Unity’. At the celebrations held in Andhra Kesari University, Vice-Chancellor Prof DVR Murthy, the chief guest, lauded Patel as the ‘Iron Man of India,’ a great patriot and freedom fighter who unified the nation by integrating Kashmir, Hyderabad, Junagadh, and 565 princely states into India, earning fame as an effective Home Minister. Registrar Prof B Haribaabu highlighted Patel’s courage from childhood in establishing a united India as the first Home Minister. NSS Coordinator M Harsha Preetham Dev Kumar praised Patel’s diplomatic skills in uniting princely states without bloodshed, urging students to emulate his ideals.
QIS College of Engineering and Technology, Ongole, organised grand celebrations on Friday to commemorate the birth anniversary of Patel and National Integrity Day. Dr Nidamanuri Surya Kalyan Chakravarti, Chairman of QIS Educational Institutions, praised Patel for his invaluable services to the nation and tireless struggle for independence. He explained that the Viksit Bharat Trust was explicitly established to serve youth and the country.