New Delhi: The National Unity Day celebrations at Ekta Nagar in Gujarat will accommodate 25,000 people this year, with around 5,000 participants from 126 Left-Wing Extremism (LWE)-affected districts expected to attend, Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan said on Wednesday, ANI reported. A drug-free India will be a key theme of the October 31 event.

Source: ANI via Devdiscourse

National Unity Day, or Rashtriya Ekta Diwas, is observed on October 31, the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. Mohan said the celebrations will focus on strengthening national unity, highlighting Patel's contribution to the country's unification and to building a strong administrative framework.

Mohan, a 1989-batch IAS officer, said preparations for this year's event began around four months in advance, compared with the usual two to two-and-a-half months, as several new elements have been introduced to broaden its reach. In earlier years the event drew around 1,500 to 2,000 people, partly because of limited seating and a lack of publicity outside Gujarat, he said.

An online registration facility has been introduced this year so people from across the country can register, book accommodation and attend. Around 5,000 to 6,000 people have already registered online and made bookings, including many from outside Gujarat, Mohan said. Fifteen tableaux will be showcased, five of them based on national themes selected through a national-level competition, according to the ANI report.

Mohan said bringing 5,000 people from 126 LWE-affected districts is aimed at strengthening the spirit of unity by enabling participants from different parts of the country to travel together, interact and visit places in Gujarat. Awaaz Punjab reported earlier on Wednesday that the Ekta Diwas parade itself will centre on celebrating the end of Naxalism, with Central Armed Police Forces and state police marching before Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Sources: ANI report of October 21, 2026 published by Devdiscourse, NewKerala and LatestLY.