Chicago/Schaumburg, October 25, 2025:
As part of the 150th birth anniversary celebrations of the Iron Man of India, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, FIA-Chicago organized a Unity Walk to honor his legacy. Despite the chilly 50°F (10°C) weather, Sardar Patel’s spirit and inspiration drew over 60 participants.
FIA Trustees Kantibhai N. Patel, Dr. Rashmi Patel, Rakesh Malhotra, Hina Trivedi, Executives Amar Upadhyay, Joy (Dipen) Shah, Anil Singh, Arvind Ankleshwaria, and community leaders Haribhai Patel, Sanjay Vora, Manish Patel, Hashmukh Patel, Vandana Jhingan, Anurag Awasthi, Dipti Desai, Ravi Narumanchi, Phani Krishna, Harish Patel, Bhavesh (Bob) Patel, Harish Topiwala, Bhanubhai Vyas, Smitesh Shah, Harshad Shah, Prakash Anturkar, Gokul Shah, and many more attended and addressed the gathering.
The event began with the American and Bharatiya national anthems. FIA President Hemant Patel explained that “Sardar” means leader — a title Vallabhbhai earned through the Bardoli Satyagraha and his unwavering leadership. His strong determination and willpower earned him the title Iron Man. Patel’s historic role in uniting 565 princely states ensured India’s unity; without him, Bharat might have been fragmented into 565 nations. He had received the maximum votes to be the first Prime Minister of Bharat. Mr. Patel stated that the event’s objective was to express gratitude and respect for Sardar’s contributions and, most importantly, to keep his legacy alive by inspiring others.
FIA Executive Amar Upadhyay highlighted Sardar’s decisive actions in freeing Hyderabad and Junagadh. Haribhai Patel, Dr. Rashmibhai Patel, and Sanjay Vora proposed installing a Statue of Unity in Chicagoland to honor his legacy. 89-year-old Kantibhai Patel shared first-hand memories of how Sardar Patel helped villagers resist British oppression.
Participants proudly joined the one-mile Unity Run. The youngest participant, 9-year-old Aarav Ankleshwaria, along with Kalpana Shah and Kantibhai Patel (89), were recognized as Unity Walk/Run awardees.
Congratulations to all participants for keeping Sardar’s spirit of unity and leadership alive!
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