Atlanta: External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar unveiled a bust of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel at India's consulate in Atlanta on National Unity Day, during a visit that also included a floral tribute to Mahatma Gandhi and an interaction with members of the Indian diaspora, IANS reported.

Source: IANS via NewKerala

India's Ambassador to the United States Vinay Mohan Kwatra and Consul General in Atlanta Dr Sumit Seth joined community leaders at the ceremony, the report said. Community members gathered on the consulate grounds as Jaishankar offered flower petals at the bust.

780 poundsWeight of the bust
110+Gujarati associations represented by the sponsor federation
151stPatel birth anniversary marked on the plaque

Bust made in India, flown in within 24 hours

Dr Vasudev Patel, president of the Federation of Gujarati Associations of USA, told IANS the federation's national team had agreed to sponsor the bust. He described the federation as an umbrella body representing more than 110 Gujarati associations in the United States. The bust weighs 780 pounds and contains brass, copper and other material, and was made in India and sent by air freight to meet the October 31 ceremony and the minister's schedule. "It came by the air freight in 24 hours it was here," he said.

The commemorative plaque described Sardar Patel as "THE IRON MAN OF INDIA" and marked his 151st birth anniversary. It carried the words "Unity • Strength • Duty". Jaishankar also marked the occasion in a social media post, describing the unveiling as an honour, and said Patel would always remain an inspiration through his vision, leadership and contributions to India's unity and integrity, according to the reports.

Source: IANS via BizzBuzz

National Unity Day, or Rashtriya Ekta Diwas, is observed on Sardar Patel's birth anniversary. Jaishankar was in Atlanta for the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting, and the consulate ceremony was held alongside that visit.