A two-day commemorative programme marking the 150th birth anniversary of Bharat Ratna Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was organised from 5 to 6 March 2026 at Taki Sanskrit Mancha in North 24 Parganas, West Bengal, by Dakshin Chandpur Child Development Mission in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture, Government of India.
The event witnessed participation of more than 1100 attendees, including government officials, academicians, professors, school and college students, folk artists, social workers, and community leaders from across West Bengal. The 2-day celebration honoured the Iron Man of India by promoting his ideals of national unity and discussing his role in integrating the princely states. Activities included a keynote address on ‘ Sardar Patel’s Vision for a United India’ by Moyazzem Hossain Mondal, Assistant Professor of History, academic lectures, a documentary screening, open discussion & Q&A sessions, and a panel discussion focused on rural development in the Sundarbans, folk dances and other cultural programs like street plays, theatrical performances by local artists, and classical dances.
More than 590 students participated in programs ranging from quiz and extempore speech competitions, while the evenings featured traditional Baul music and folk dance performances. The event concluded with prize distribution to the winners under various competition categories and a mass undertaking of the National Unity Pledge inspired by the fundamentals of national integration, democratic governance, and the spirit of unity in diversity that Sardar Patel promoted.
