(MENAFN- Khaleej Times)

Every year on October 31, India celebrates Rashtriya Ekta Diwas, National Unity Day, marking the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the Iron Man who united a divided subcontinent into one nation. But this year, as India commemorates Patel's 150th birth anniversary, the message of Ekta Diwas extends far beyond India's borders, reaching across the Arabian Sea to the Gulf, where unity, inclusion, and shared destiny are daily realities.

For centuries, the Gulf and India have been bound by trade, culture, and faith. Today, that historic connection has evolved into a partnership of progress. Over nine million Indians live and work across the Gulf states, in hospitals, classrooms, ports, start-ups, and boardrooms, embodying the same spirit of hard work, inclusivity, and loyalty that Patel envisioned for India.

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The success of this diaspora has made Indians not just contributors, but stakeholders in the Gulf's transformation. Whether in the UAE's futuristic skylines, Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 megaprojects, or Oman's community initiatives, Indian professionals and workers have become an integral part of the region's story of growth.

For the Gulf nations too, unity in diversity is a lived ideal. The UAE's“Year of Tolerance,” Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 reforms, and Oman's interfaith outreach reflect a shared belief that societies thrive when rooted in respect and cohesion. Ekta Diwas thus speaks a language the Gulf deeply understands, one of stability amid change, and strength through inclusion.

Unity: The core of India's rise

Modern India's story is a living testament to the power of unity. A nation of 1.4 billion people, hundreds of languages, and every major religion of the world, India's diversity has not divided it, it has driven it forward. That ability to turn difference into dynamism is what makes India the world's fastest-growing major economy and one of the most stable democracies.

Behind every achievement, from Digital India to Make in India and Viksit Bharat 2047, lies the same unifying principle: inclusive growth. And this approach mirrors the Gulf's own development path, where modernization goes hand in hand with cultural continuity.

As India and the GCC negotiate a free trade agreement and expand cooperation in energy, green hydrogen, logistics, and food security, the shared emphasis on stability and partnership stands out. The India–Gulf relationship is no longer transactional; it is transformational, driven by mutual respect and shared aspirations.

A global call for togetherness

This year, the main Ekta Diwas celebrations at the Statue of Unity in Gujarat, the world's tallest statue at 182 meters, are being complemented by community events in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, and Muscat, organized by Indian missions and diaspora groups.

These events, from“Run for Unity” campaigns to cultural festivals, reflect that India's unity is not limited by geography. It lives within every Indian who carries the country's values abroad: resilience, adaptability, and harmony in diversity.

When Gulf citizens and Indian expatriates come together in these celebrations, they are not just honoring Patel; they are celebrating an idea that connects them both, the belief that unity builds nations.

In an era of global polarization, Ekta Diwas offers a message that resonates across borders: unity is not sameness, it is strength through diversity. India's example shows that democracy and diversity can coexist, thrive, and even accelerate development.

That same ethos drives the Gulf's transformation, where multicultural workforces, social reform, and economic diversification coexist in harmony. Together, India and the Gulf are shaping a new global model of cooperation, pragmatic, peaceful, and people-centric.

Patel's dream of a confident, united India now finds reflection in India's partnerships abroad, particularly in the Gulf, where mutual trust, cultural empathy, and shared opportunity form the foundation of one of the world's most stable relationships.

As India celebrates Ekta Diwas, it also celebrates the values it shares with the Gulf: tolerance, progress, and unity of purpose.

Sardar Patel's words remain timeless:“Every citizen of India must remember that he is an Indian and he has every right in this country but with certain duties.” That sense of responsibility, to nation, to community, to humanity, defines the Indian diaspora across the Gulf.

From Ahmedabad to Abu Dhabi, from New Delhi to Dubai, the message of Ekta Diwas rings clear: unity is not just India's heritage, it is its greatest export, a living example of how harmony can power prosperity, and how nations, when united, can illuminate the world.

The author is a writer at Milaybami.

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