New Delhi: With the 150th birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel approaching, Delhi’s Education Minister Ashish Sood announced a grand two-month campaign titled “Sardar @150”, aimed at celebrating unity, self-reliance, and national pride. The campaign will feature Ekta Padyatras (unity marches), the National Unity Water Yatra, and a major cultural show at the Red Fort — symbolising the spirit of Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat.
Unveiling the initiative at the Delhi Secretariat, Sood said the campaign, organised under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the leadership of Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, would “rekindle the spirit of unity from Kashmir to Kanyakumari that Sardar Patel once envisioned.” He added, “This is not just a tribute to India’s great unifier but a movement to strengthen the values of self-reliance, discipline, and national integration.”
As part of the Sardar @150 campaign, 150 students from Delhi’s 15 educational districts will collect water from the Yamuna, which will then be carried to 25 rivers across India, from the Jhelum in Jammu & Kashmir to the Musi in Hyderabad. In return, water from these rivers will be brought back and offered at the Sardar Patel statue at Patel Chowk during a special Jalabhishek ceremony on October 31. A documentary film capturing this symbolic journey will also be screened at the main event.
The campaign will feature Ekta Padyatras across all 11 revenue districts on October 31, beginning from Patel Chowk and ending at the National War Memorial, with over 5,000 participants including students, teachers, NCC and NSS volunteers. Each district will host cultural and motivational events promoting patriotism and civic unity. On November 1, Delhi’s Foundation Day, the Red Fort will host a projection mapping and cultural show titled “Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat – Aatmanirbhar Bharat”, showcasing the diversity and achievements of Indian states.
The campaign will also include a poster-making competition across 15 educational districts on themes like Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Meri Dilli, Mera Desh. The 150 winners will get to visit the Statue of Unity in Gujarat, with the top posters presented to the Prime Minister and Home Minister.