Ekta Parade at Ekta Nagar to mark the end of armed Naxalism, with a play drawn from Anandamath

21 October 2026

Union Home Secretary Shri Govind Mohan said at a press conference on 21 October 2026 that the main Rashtriya Ekta Diwas celebrations will be held on 31 October 2026 at Ekta Nagar in Gujarat. The Prime Minister will pay tribute to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel at the Statue of Unity in the morning, and the Ekta Parade and all performances will be held in the evening, a timing chosen to avoid daytime heat. The parade will highlight the work of state police forces, Central Armed Police Forces and Central Police Organisations and will mark India's end of armed Naxalism in 2026, with a short film on LED screens as each contingent passes the Prime Minister. The National School of Drama will stage a play titled Naxal Mukt Bharat with about 2,000 artists from 126 districts once affected by armed Naxalism, and about 5,000 people from those districts are invited as spectators. The play is based on Anandamath, the novel by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyaya, and the cultural theme is Vande Mataram, marking its 150th year. Fifteen tableaux will be built from designs submitted through national competitions on MyGov and district-level competitions in Gujarat, and about 5,000 artists will present a performance combining about 50 cultural elements.