<div><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">As dawn breaks over the Narmada valley, the rising sun spills over the bronze figure of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the Iron Man of India, standing tall at 182 metres, casting a golden reflection across the calm waters below.&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></div>
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<div><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">At the foot of the Statue of Unity, hundreds of boots strike the ground in unison, drums roll, flags flutter, and a new chapter quietly unfolds in the story of Indian policing.</span></div>
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<div><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">For the first time, a woman officer, IPS Suman Nala, will command the grand Ekta Diwas parade on Friday, leading contingents from across the country in a march that celebrates the spirit Patel stood for: unity, resolve and equality.&nbsp;</span></div>
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<div><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Speaking exclusively to Benefit News on the eve of the parade, Nala described the moment she was informed of the decision as &ldquo;a matter of immense pride.&rdquo; &ldquo;It felt very, very good because it&rsquo;s a national event and a national pride also for us,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;This is the first time that a female officer is leading it, and we have all female contingent commanders.&rdquo;</span></div>
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<div><em><strong><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">A March for Unity and Inclusion</span></strong></em></div>
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<div><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">The parade at Ekta Nagar, held to mark the 150th birth anniversary of Sardar Patel, will mirror the grandeur of the Republic Day celebrations in New Delhi.</span></div>
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<div><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Sixteen contingents, nine brass bands, and tableaux representing 10 states and five Central Armed Police Forces will participate, alongside NCC cadets, camel and horse units, dog squads and a special air display by the Indian Air Force&rsquo;s Surya Kiran team.</span></div>
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<div><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">For Nala, the symbolism runs deep. &ldquo;When you are a part of the parade, it&rsquo;s never about an individual. Even if you are the parade commander and moving alone in front, you are moving with the whole contingent and the whole parade,&rdquo; she reflected.&nbsp;</span></div>
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<div><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">&ldquo;It shows how people from across the country, with different languages and ways of working, come together as one team. It&rsquo;s unity in diversity at its peak.&rdquo;</span></div>
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<div><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Her leadership, she said, is rooted in the same principles that have guided her policing career: empathy, teamwork and discipline. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s always about understanding people, sitting with them, and having compassion. The same applies when leading a parade; it&rsquo;s about every person moving in harmony.&rdquo;&nbsp;</span></div>
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<div><em><strong><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">From Software Engineer to Parade Commander</span></strong></em></div>
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<div><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Before donning the khaki, Nala&rsquo;s journey was through corridors of code and computation. A graduate in Computer Science from BITS Pilani, she began her career at Oracle Corporation before deciding to pursue civil services. &ldquo;I loved my work there,&rdquo; she said, &ldquo;but I always wanted to do something with more public interaction, something that served people directly.&rdquo;</span></div>
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<div><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Her path through the civil services was as diverse as her interests, from Assistant Security Commissioner in the Railway Protection Force to Financial Advisor to the Indian Coast Guard under the Indian Defence Accounts Service.&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></div>
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<div><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">In 2021, she joined the Indian Police Service. &ldquo;Whatever knowledge I gained, whether at BITS Pilani or Oracle, it all connects the dots. It&rsquo;s not just technical knowledge but organisational knowledge that helps me today,&rdquo; she said.&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></div>
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<div><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Her tenure as Assistant Superintendent of Police in Danta, Banaskantha, was marked by impactful community engagement. She led initiatives that helped reintegrate 29 socially ostracised families and built trust in a tribal region long defined by social divides. &ldquo;The teamwork I learned in such postings helps me now when I&rsquo;m working with thousands of people for this parade,&rdquo; she said.&nbsp;</span></div>
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<div><em><strong><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Redefining Leadership</span></strong></em></div>
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<div><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">In a field still often described as male-dominated, Nala&rsquo;s leadership carries a message that transcends the parade ground. &ldquo;Somewhere inside us, we feel that this is male work or this is female work,&rdquo; she said.&nbsp;</span></div>
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<div><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">&ldquo;But there is absolutely no difference. The uniform, any uniform, doesn&rsquo;t differentiate who is wearing it. If your aptitude and willingness are there, you should do it.&rdquo;&nbsp;</span></div>
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<div><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Her words echo Patel&rsquo;s belief that unity was a matter of conviction, not conformity. &ldquo;If you love the work, go for it, whether it&rsquo;s engineering, defence, or journalism,&rdquo; she added with conviction.&nbsp;</span></div>
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<div><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">As for the anticipation of the day itself, she remains composed. &ldquo;Preparations are over,&rdquo; she laughed. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s past my sleep time now. We have to get up on time, fall in at four o&rsquo;clock, and perform tomorrow.&rdquo;&nbsp;</span></div>
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<div><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Friday morning, when the bugles sound and the tricolour ripples over Ekta Nagar, the image of a young woman officer leading thousands in salute to the nation will capture more than ceremony; it will signify change.&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></div>
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<div><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">For IPS Suman Nala, and for the countless others watching, the Ekta Diwas parade will be a march of pride, perseverance and progress, one that truly embodies the spirit of unity that Sardar Patel once envisioned for India.</span></div>

As India marks Sardar Patel’s 150th birth anniversary, IPS Suman Nala makes history

A March for Unity, Led by a Woman in Khaki

As India marks Sardar Patel’s 150th birth anniversary, IPS Suman Nala makes history

October 31, 2025 | 12:13 IST