PM Modi Leads Ekta Parade at Ekta Nagar Celebrating End of Armed Naxalism

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday led the Rashtriya Ekta Diwas celebrations at Ekta Nagar in Gujarat, where the evening Ekta Parade turned the spotlight on one of the government’s biggest security achievements — the end of armed Naxalism in India. The parade, held on the 151st birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, brought together police and paramilitary contingents with thousands of artistes in a celebration of national unity at the foot of the Statue of Unity.

The parade featured contingents from state police forces, Central Armed Police Forces and central police organisations, many of them drawn from forces that have been at the forefront of the fight against Left-Wing Extremism. Short films highlighting the achievements of the participating forces were shown on large screens during the march-past, underlining how districts once affected by armed Naxalism have moved towards peace, security and development. Around 10,000 police and paramilitary personnel took part in the parade, alongside nearly 4,700 artistes.

A special theatrical presentation on “Naxal Mukt Bharat” by the National School of Drama was one of the highlights of the evening. Around 2,000 artistes drawn from 126 districts affected by Left-Wing Extremism took part in the presentation, telling the story of the struggle in those districts and the transformation that has followed. The elite CoBRA unit of the Central Reserve Police Force and the Chhattisgarh Police were among the contingents showcasing their anti-Naxal operations.

The wider cultural programme was built around the theme “Vande Mataram”, marking 150 years of the national song, with tableaux and performances by around 5,000 artistes from across the country showcasing India’s diverse artistic traditions. A nationwide bike rally against drug abuse also formed part of the celebrations.

Earlier in the day, Modi had paid floral tributes to Sardar Patel at the Statue of Unity in the morning, marking the start of the National Unity Day programme. The evening parade, which concluded with an address by the Prime Minister, was designed both to honour the extraordinary work of the police forces and to invite people from across the country to witness the celebrations at Ekta Nagar, home to the world’s tallest statue. For the government, the message of the evening was clear: the unity Patel forged after Independence is now being carried forward by a country free of armed Naxalism and united in its diversity.