People from nearly 1,000 locations in the country are likely to take part in the ‘Run for Unity’, which will be organised on December 15, according to a Gujarat Minister.

Addressing presspersons here on Saturday, Saurabhbhai Patel, Gujarat Energy Minister, said that ‘Run for Unity’, a marathon, will be held at the same time for the same purpose on December 15, the death anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

Initially, it was estimated to conduct the run in 565 destinations in the country. Going by the responses, the number of destinations is likely to cross 1,000, he said.

The marathon will be inaugurated by Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi in Vadodara. Nearly one lakh people are likely to participate in that, he said.

He said that the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Rashtriya Ekta Trust would build Patel’s statue near Sardar Sarovar Dam. This 182-metre-high ‘Statue of Unity’ will be the world’s tallest statue, he said.

As a part of this campaign, old farming tools and the sample of the soil of the village will be collected from all the villages across India. The farming tools will be used to construct the statue, he said. Added to this, an essay competition on India’s unity and integrity will be organised at schools in villages, Saurabhbhai Patel said.

>vinayak.aj@thehindu.co.in