Mangalore: Sardar Patel 'Statue of Unity' aims to strengthen nation - Gujarat minister

Pics: Spoorthi Ullal
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore

Mangalore, Dec 7: "Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel contributed immensely to the Indian freedom struggle, and his role in governance after the Independence was also of much importance. Today’s young generation is not aware of what he has done for our country, hence with a view to pay tribute to this Iron Man of India, a 182-meter statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, called the 'Statue of Unity', has been planned on the banks of the river Narmada, with linking bridge, under the aegis of the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Rashtriya Ekta Trust, intiated by the government of Gujarat," said Saurabhbhai Patel, minister for energy, government of Gujrat.

Addressing a press meet at Hotel Ocean Pearl here on Saturday December 7, he said the 'Statue of Unity' is going to be the world’s tallest statue. "This is indeed an invaluable opportunity to honour the visionary of India, Sardar Patel, who united 562 princely states of the union of India," he said.

"This is not just a statue, it has a number of special features too. It is being built with iron, water and soil collected from every gram panchayat in the country. The farmers will donate their old agricultural tools to construct this 'Statue of Unity', thus giving their full-fledged support to the leader who strived to uplift farmers. Nearly 700 tonnes of iron will be collected from across the country," he said.

"With the motto of 'Ek Bharat, Shreshth Bharat', Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi has initiated such a great work to strengthen unity and integrity of the nation. Narendra Modi was planning this project for almost two years and the foundation stone was laid on October 31 this year. The project will be completed within the next 4 to 5 years," he added.

"During the campaign for the construction of the statue, used farming tools from every village of India, samples of the local soil, and signed letters by the villagers expressing their anticipation for good governance will be collected. An essay competition on India’s unity and integrity will be organized in every secondary and higher secondary school of the villages and first three winners will be given prizes at district and state levels," he informed.

A unique marathon, 'Run for Unity', will be held at 565 places on Sardar Patel's death anniversary on December 15, in which more than 20 lac people from across the country are expected to participate. This event will be the first of its kind, wherin a marathon will be organized at the same time for the same purpose, he said.

The photos of all the participating representatives of every gram panchayat will be collected during this event and they will be displayed at the venue of the statue. All the photos will be preserved near the statue so that the future generations can value the priceless contribution of their panchayats, Saurabhbhai Patel said.

"In a major campaign, signatures from over 2 crore people will be collected and this will be the world’s largest signature campaign ever.  Called the 'Suraaj petition', it will be displayed near the statue," he said.

The statue will be erected at Sadhu Bet, located about 3.32 km from Sardar Sarovar Dam. It will be three times taller than America’s most popular ‘Statue of Liberty’. For the constructiion of this statue, the most advanced and long-lasting, efficient designs and technologies will be used. Advanced elevator facility will be implemented to enjoy the scenic beauty of the Narmada Dam from a height of 450 ft from the spectator gallery.

The structure, made steel framework, will be able to sustain adverse weather conditions and  be resistant to heavy winds and earthquake. The construction of this statue will be based on private-public partnership (PPP) model. Equal opportunities for development will be offered by protecting the environment of the developing territories near Narmada River, Saurabhbhai Patel said.

Advanced demonstrations and laser light shows will take place near river Narmada while giving equal consideration to environment protection. Virtual tours will be held to explain an array of aspects of Sardar Sarovar Yojana and research and developmental activities including subjects such as water management and scheduled tribe welfare programmes. Ferry service and connecting bridge will be constructed to reach the venue, he added.

He further requested the people to join hands in this project as it has been undertaken with a view to unite the nation for a noble cause, irrespective of political affiliations. "The 'Statue of Unity' will no doubt help in building up national unity and intergrity, and also bring us worldwide fame," he said.

MLAs of Gujarat Nagarji Thakor, Vaghjibhai Patel, Varshaben Doshi, Dilipbhai Patel, Raje Mehta and others were present.