Mangalore: Thousands participate in Sardar Patel 'Run for Unity'
Pics: Dayanand Kukkaje
Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (DV)
Mangalore, Dec 15: Thousands of people on Sunday December 15 participated in the ‘Run for Unity’ organized by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel metal collection committee, Dakshina Kannada to mark the death anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. The event was organized in a bid to collect iron metal to build Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s 182 meter statue in Gujarat.
People from various organizations, college students and the general public took part in the 2 km rally that was flagged off at Dr Ambedkar circle and culminated at Nehru Maidan.
MP Nalin Kumar Kateel and M Ganesh Rao of Karavali Group of Colleges jointly flagged off rally.
“We have assembled here to salute Bharat Mata. It is necessary that youth join this kind of rally to change the country in a positive way. This is the time to fulfill the dream of former President A P J Abdul Kalam, and show the world the achievements of India,” said Ganesh Rao.
Speaking to reporters Dr Y Bharath Shetty, convener of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel statue metal collection committee, DK, said “As many as 3,500 people registered their names before the rally, and today another 1000 registered on the spot. We had expected 5,000 people and have almost reached that figure."
MLC Capt Ganesh Karnik, MLC Monappa Bhandary, Prof Shastri, Pratap Simha Nayak, Yogish Bhat, Capt Brijesh Chowta, Pradeep Kumar Kalkura, M B Puranik, Kishor Kumar, Nagaraj Shetty, Ranjan Gowda and others took part in this marathon.
The rally culminated at Nehru Maidan where the participants were given certificates. The marathon runners ran in groups of five.
The ‘Run for Unity’ was simultaneously held in various parts of India.