High Commission of India to Stage Unity Walk on Sunday

The High Commission of India will stage a unity walk on Sunday, October 30, beginning at 6:30 a.m. at India House, 2 East King’s House Road in Kingston.

Members of the Indian community and other participants will walk from India House to Hope Road, then continue on to Liguanea Avenue, Paddington Terrace and then back to India House.

There will also be a badminton tournament at India House following the walk.

The activities are part of celebrations to commemorate National Unity Day on October 31 to honour the 147th birth anniversary of the late Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, also known as the Iron Man of India.

The Government of India introduced the Day in 2014. Mr. Patel, who was born on October 31, 1875, died on December 15, 1950. He was one of the leaders of the India National Congress during the struggle for India’s independence.

He served as India’s Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Home Affairs, Minister of Information and Minister of State.

High Commissioner of India to Jamaica, His Excellency Rungsung Masakui, told JIS News that the Day will be celebrated across the world.

“All embassies and all high commissions across the world will be coming out to have a unity walk or a unity run and forming a human chain just to show that we have the capacity to consolidate together, to unite together,” he said.

Commissioner Masakui said that Mr. Patel was a unifying figure in India when the country gained its Independence in 1947.

“Sardar Patel was responsible for consolidating and unifying all the 520 princely states to merge with the Union of India and integrate as one nation. So, the credit went to Sardar Patel and we are celebrating this day,” he said.

The High Commissioner said that the badminton tournament will begin after the walk and persons wishing to participate in the tournament can register for the event via the email hcoffe.kingston@mea.gov.in.

He said that the tournament, which will he held over the next few weeks, will involve two groups, children under 14 years and adults.

“We will have the tournament every weekend, Saturday and Sunday, until we finish off all the sets. We don’t know how many weeks it will take,” he added.