Kartavya Path Inauguration: Rajpath, the symbol of slavery, has been erased forever, says PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated ‘Kartavya Path’ today. It symbolises a shift from erstwhile Rajpath being an icon of power, to Kartavya Path being an example of public ownership and empowerment. He also unveiled the statue of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose at India Gate on occasion.

#WATCH | PM Narendra Modi unveils the statue of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose beneath the canopy near India Gate

(Source: DD) pic.twitter.com/PUJf4pSP9o

— ANI (@ANI) September 8, 2022

Addressing the gathering, the prime minister said in the time of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav the nation felt a new inspiration and energy. “Today, we are filling the picture of tomorrow with new colours, leaving behind the past. Today this new aura is visible everywhere, it is the aura of confidence of New India”, he said.

Speaking at inauguration of the spectacular 'Kartavya Path' in New Delhi. https://t.co/5zmO1iqZxj

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 8, 2022

He continued “Kingsway i.e. Rajpath, the symbol of slavery, has become a matter of history from today and has been erased forever. Today a new history has been created in the form of ‘Kartavya Path’. I congratulate all the countrymen for their freedom from yet another identity of slavery, in this Amrit Kaal of independence.”

Modi said today a huge statue of our national hero Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose has also been installed near India Gate. “At the time of slavery, there was a statue of the representative of the British Raj. Today the country has also brought to life a modern, strong India by establishing the statue of Netaji at the same place”, he added.

Recalling the greatness of Netaji, the prime minister said “Subhas Chandra Bose was such a great man who was beyond the challenge of position and resources. His acceptance was such that the whole world considered him a leader. He had courage and self-respect. He had ideas, he had visions. He had leadership abilities and had policies.”

He said that no country should forget its glorious past. India’s glorious history is in every Indian’s blood and tradition. Netaji, the prime minister reminded, was proud of India’s heritage and at the same time, he wanted to make India modern.

“If after independence India had followed the path of Subhash Babu, what heights would the country be at today! But unfortunately, this great hero of ours was forgotten after independence. His ideas, even the symbols associated with them, were ignored”, prime minister lamented.

He recalled the visit to Netaji’s residence in Kolkata on the occasion of Netaji’s 125th birth anniversary and remembered the energy that he felt at that time. “It is our effort that Netaji’s energy should guide the country today. Netaji’s statue on the ‘Kartavya Path’ will become a medium for that'', he said. Modi said “In the last eight years, we have taken many such decisions one after the other, which are imprinted with the ideals and dreams of Netaji. He was the first head of Akhand Bharat, who freed Andaman before 1947 and hoisted the Tricolor. At that time he had imagined what it would be like to hoist the Tricolor at the Red Fort. I personally experienced this feeling, when I had the privilege of hoisting the Tricolor at the Red Fort on the occasion of 75 years of the Azad Hind government.” He also talked about the museum dedicated to Netaji and the Azad Hind Fauz in the Red Fort. He also remembered the Republic Day Parade in 2019 when a contingent of Azad Hind Army marched, a long-awaited honour for the veterans. Similarly, the identity and their association in the Andaman Islands were also strengthened.

Reiterating the nation's commitment to ‘Panch Pran’ the prime minister said “Today India’s ideals and dimensions are its own. Today India's resolve is its own and its goals are its own. Today our paths are ours, our symbols are our own.”

He continued “Today when the Rajpath ceases to exist and has become a Kartavya Path. Today the statue of Netaji has replaced the mark of the statue of George V, but this is neither the first nor the last example of the abandonment of slavery mentality. It is a continuous journey of determination till the goal of freedom of mind and spirit is achieved.”

He also talked of significant changes like the change of the name of the PM Residence to Lok Kalyan Marg in place of Racecourse road, Indian musical instruments in ceremonies of Independence Day and Beating the Retreat ceremony. He also referred to the change of ensign by the Indian Navy from colonial to the ensign of Chhatrapati Shivaji. “Similarly, the National War Memorial also represents the glory of the country”, he added.

The prime minister said these changes are not confined to the symbols but have also been infused in the policies of the country too. “Today the country has changed hundreds of laws that have been going on since the British era. The time and date of the Indian Budget, which was following the times of the British Parliament for so many decades, have also been changed. Through the National Education Policy, now the youth of the country are being liberated from the compulsion of foreign language”, he pointed out. “That means, both the thinking and the behaviour of the countrymen are freed from the mentality of slavery”, he added.

The prime minister emphasised that the Kartavya Path is not just a road of bricks and stones but a living example of India's democratic past and ideals. He reiterated that when the people of the country come here, the statue of Netaji and the National War Memorial will be a source of great inspiration and it will fill them with a sense of duty.

He expressed special gratitude toward the labourers not just for their physical contribution to the redevelopment of Kartavya Path but also their role in society that is an instance of duty toward the nation. Talking about his meeting with the labourers (shramjeevis), the prime minister praised the dream of the nation’s glory that they carry in their hearts.

They and their families will be the prime minister’s special guests on the next Republic Day Parade. Modi expressed happiness that today there is a tradition of respect for shram (labour) and shramjeevi (workers) in the country. He emphasised that with sensitivity in policies, there is sensitivity in decisions and ‘Shramev Jayate’ is becoming a mantra for the nation. He recalled instances of interactions with workers in Kashi Vishwanath Dham, Vikrant, and Prayagraj Kumbh. Workers working on the new Parliament Building will get a place of honour in one of the galleries, he informed.

The prime minister then went on to speak about the country's cultural infrastructure along with physical, digital, and transport infrastructure. For social infrastructure, he gave examples of new AIIMS and medical colleges, IITs, water connections, and Amrit Sarovars. Rural roads and the record number of modern expressways, railways and metro networks, and new airports are expanding transport infrastructure in an unprecedented manner. Optical fiber to panchayats and records of digital payments have made India’s digital infrastructure a topic of global appreciation.

But steps have also been taken to expand the cultural infrastructure related to history, national heroes and national heritage. He said that the development of such sites is also taking place with equal urgency. “Be it Sardar Patel's Statue of Unity or a museum dedicated to tribal freedom fighters, PM Museum or Babasaheb Ambedkar Memorial, National War Memorial or National Police Memorial, these are examples of cultural infrastructure”, the prime minister added.

The prime minister stressed that an aspirational India can make rapid progress only by giving impetus to social, transport, digital and cultural infrastructure as a whole. “I am happy that today, the country is getting another great example of cultural infrastructure in the form of Kartavya Path”, the Prime Minister added.

He called upon every citizen of the country to visit this newly constructed Kartavya Path. “In its development, you will see the India of the future. The energy here will give you a new vision for our vast nation, a new belief”, the prime minister said. He also mentioned that a drone show based on the life of Netaji Subhash will take place for the next three days at the spot.

He urged the citizens to visit and take pictures which can be uploaded on social media with the hashtag #KartavyaPath. “I know this entire area is the heartbeat of the people of Delhi, and a large number of people come with their families to spend time in the evening. The planning, designing and lighting of the duty path has also been done keeping this in mind” he said. “I believe that this inspiration of Kartavya Path will create a flow of duty in the country and this flow will take us to the fulfilment of the resolve of a new and developed India,” he said.

Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs, Shri Hardeep Singh Puri, Union Minister of Tourism, Shri G Kishan Reddy, Union Ministers of State of Culture of India, Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal and Smt Meenakshi Lekhi and Union Minister of State of Housing and Urban Affairs, Shri Kaushal Kishore were those present on the occasion.

With input from agencies

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