Around 2,000 artists from 126 Naxal-affected districts across the country will participate in this year's Ekta Diwas parade in Gujarat's Kevadia as part of a special programme celebrating national unity and the end of Naxalism, Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan said Wednesday (October 21, 2026).
Addressing a press conference, Mr. Mohan said the annual Ekta Diwas celebrations, held to commemorate the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on October 31, feature a parade, cultural performances and other events to be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“This year, there will be a "departure' from routine programmes as the celebrations will include several new initiatives aimed at highlighting the achievements of security forces in eliminating Naxalism from the country and showcasing the country's cultural diversity, including a play on 'Anandamath' written by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, besides a cultural programme by people who have settled in Gujarat from different parts of the country” he said.
“The cultural programme will bring together approximately 2,000 artists representing 126 districts that have experienced the impact of Naxal violence over the years,” Mr. Mohan said.
“Their participation will underline the resilience of communities that have endured conflict and highlight the role of cultural expression in strengthening national integration,” he said.
"We are inviting around 5,000 people from these 126 districts who will not only be spectators of the events but will also, through their interactions with people during their journey and stay, recount their experiences when Naxalism was rampant in their districts, the country's struggle against it and most importantly the fact that in place of militancy, violence and all kinds of depredations, these districts are now experiencing a wave of development," the Home Secretary said.
"They will recount the massive changes that occurred in their lives. So this is one new feature of this year's Ekta Parade. The other feature is that this time we will hold entire parade and the performances in the evening hours because of very high average temperatures that these areas are experiencing even in October," he said.
Mr. Mohan said that in the evening, not only will the temperatures be congenial for performers and spectators but the attractiveness of the programme can also be enhanced during the lights and sounds show.
He said another new element will be tableaux which have been designed through national competition run on MyGov at national level and in every district of Gujarat with each district given a distinct theme from Vande Mataram song.
"Weaving together all the themes and designs that we got from the national and state competitions, we arrived at a total of 15 best designs which were selected by our experts," he said.
The Home Secretary said a large part of the funding for these tableaux has come from Corporate Social Responsibility funds.
"So we are moving to that phase when tableaux that will be demonstrated at important events will be incorporating the aspirations of common people of India rather than the structured themes of government entities, and state governments," he said.
He also said this time communities from different parts of the country who have settled in Gujarat have been asked to curate their own cultural performances based on themes from Gujarat.
This has resulted in shortlisting of 50 elements woven together to create a cultural performance involving 5,000 artists as compared to 1,500 artists who performed last year.
"Since last year, we have started the practice of hosting a large play, curated by the National School of Drama, on the eve of 31st October. This year the theme is 'Anandamath ‘, which is path breaking novel of Bankim Chandra Chatterjee because we are celebrating 150th years of Vande Mataram," Mr. Mohan said.
Besides, a major highlight will be the participation of personnel from the Central Armed Police Forces, other central police organisations and state police forces that have played a crucial role in combating armed Naxalism.
“As the contingents march past the prime minister, LED screens will showcase short films highlighting their achievements and contributions to maintaining peace and security in affected regions,” he said.
“The celebrations are also intended to encourage people from across India to visit Kevadia, home to the Statue of Unity, the world's tallest statue dedicated to Sardar Patel. The surrounding region has developed into a major tourist destination, offering several attractions for visitors,” Mr. Mohan said.
Through the expanded parade and cultural performances, the celebrations will honour the contributions of security personnel while recognising the journey of communities affected by violence towards peace and development, he said.