“Rajpath, which was earlier known as Kingsway (before independence), a symbol of slavery, has become a matter of history from today and has been erased forever. A new history has been created today in the form of Kartavya Path. I congratulate all the countrymen for their freedom from yet another identity of slavery in this ‘elixir of freedom’. His August 15 address to make India a developed nation by 2047.
“Now when MPs, ministers and officials go on ‘Kartavya Path’, they will be reminded of their duties and they will be inspired,” Modi said.
He said that while the Rajpath symbolizes the power of the ruler, the ‘Kartavya Path’ represents a sense of duty as well as a sense of public ownership and empowerment. He said that the Rajpath was for the British Raj, to which the people of India were slaves.
PM also talked about installing 28 feet high granite statue Netaji Another sign of “slavery” (slavery) marked the abolition of “slavery” under the canopy of the India Gate, under which the statue of British Emperor George V once stood. He called Netaji a “Rashtra Nayak” (leader of the nation), elevating the potentially great freedom fighter to an even higher pedestal and said the country would have been higher if he followed his ideas.
Stating that the installation of Netaji’s statue symbolizes the determination of a strong India, Modi said: “After independence, if our country followed in his footsteps, India would have attained different heights. But unfortunately this great hero of ours was forgotten after independence. His ideas, even the symbols associated with him, were ignored.”
The PM was speaking at a glittering ceremony marked by laser show, enthusiastic performances by cultural troupes and singing of an old patriotic song. Modi emphasized nationalism and insisted that the statue and the redeveloped pathway and India Gate lawn represent more than physical structures. They stood for a conscious effort to remove the seal of colonial occupation and to establish the rise of the nationalist spirit of a strong and confident India.
“The spirit of Rajpath was also a symbol of slavery, its structure was also a symbol of slavery,” the PM said in a powerful response to the murmur that the name change tampered with history. He referred to a series of decisions taken by the government – renaming the Andaman Islands after Netaji; Renaming the Race Course Road where the Prime Minister’s official residence is located as Lok Kalyan Marg; and the introduction of Indian musical instruments to the celebrations of Independence Day and the Beating Retreat ceremony to end colonial signings.
On the recent decision to change the Indian Navy’s flag and the new flag, he said, “The Indian Navy has also adopted the symbol of Chhatrapati Shivaji and dropped the symbol of slavery. These changes are not limited to symbols only. Part of the foundation.” Modi also clarified that no one will stop the effort to end colonialism. “This is neither the beginning nor the end of the government’s focus on erasing the images of colonialism.”
He added: “The ideals and dimensions of India today are her own. Today India’s resolve is its own and its goals are its own. Today our paths are ours, our symbols are ours. Today Rajpath has ceased to exist and has become a Kartavya path. Today, when Netaji’s statue has replaced the mark of George V’s, this is not the first instance of abandonment of the slavery mentality. It is neither the beginning nor the end. It is a continuous journey of determination till the goal of freedom of mind and soul is achieved. ,
Modi said that with the improvement of the vibe, its architecture and its spirit have also changed. This project is an indication of how the country is leaving the past behind and presenting a new picture of the future. “When people come here, Netaji’s statue and the National War Memorial will inspire them,” he said.
On Netaji’s statue, he said that the statue of King George V is a symbol of British rule. He regretted that Netaji’s contribution had not been adequately acknowledged so far and emphasized that the BJP government under him had done more to honor the charismatic leader of the freedom struggle. “We opened a museum of Netaji and his Indian National Army in the Red Fort, we also renamed the islands in Andaman, where they hoisted the INA flag after him.”
Modi said Netaji’s statue on ‘Kartavya Path’ would become a source of inspiration and that his government had taken decisions in the last eight years influencing Netaji’s ideals.
The PM also expressed special gratitude to the workers engaged in the project for their contribution in the redevelopment of the block. He said that he has invited all of them along with their family members to be his ‘special guests’ at the next Republic Day parade. Modi announced that the workers engaged in the new Parliament House project would get a place of honor in one of its galleries.
Earlier, while addressing the program, Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said that for the first time after independence, the biggest transformational project of the country is being done under the leadership of Modi.
watch PM Narendra Modi inaugurating Kartavya Path