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Kartavya Path will inspire citizens; Rajpath symbolized slavery: Modi

By Our Special Correspondent


Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said Rajpath symbolized India’s “slavery” and has now been consigned to history as he inaugurated the revamped stretch with a new name, Kartavya Path, and unveiled a statue of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose at India Gate.

In a swipe at previous Congress governments, he said had India followed the path shown by Bose, then it would have reached new heights but the iconic leader was sadly forgotten and his symbols and ideas were ignored. He added that imprints of his ideals and dreams are now visible in the BJP government’s works.

Kingsway or Rajpath, a symbol of slavery, has been consigned to history and erased forever, Modi said, asserting that a new history has taken birth in Kartavya Path and this along with Netaji’s statue will now guide and inspire the country.

This is neither the beginning nor the end, Modi said of efforts towards removal of symbols of “slavery”, adding that it is a relentless march of resolve with the goal of the freedom of one’s mind. “Both thinking and behavior of the countrymen are getting freed from the mentality of slavery.”

“Kartavya Path will now remind all that we need to keep the nation first. When people of the country come here, the statue of Netaji, the National War Memorial will inspire them so much and fill them with their sense of duties,” he said.

The revamped stretch from Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate is estimated to have cost around Rs 477 crore.

“This is an example of developing our cultural infrastructure,” Modi said and cited the Statue of Unity dedicated to Sardar Patel and the National War Memorial as other such examples.

The date and timing of Union budget presentation have been changed and a new education policy brought in, he said, adding this spirit is guiding his government’s policies.

“India has now set its own ideals, pledges and goals. Today, our paths and symbols are our own,” the prime minister said.

The revamped stretch is part of the Modi government’s ambitious Central Vista redevelopment project.

Modi also thanked workers involved in the development of Kartavya Path and said that they not only built it but also showed the others way of ‘kartavya’ (duty). They will be his guests for the Republic Day parade on January 26, he said.

Workers involved in constructing the new parliament building will have a special gallery dedicated to them, Modi said.

“As India celebrates ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’, it is our resolve to have a feeling of pride in our traditional heritage and put the country on the path to unstoppable development,” he said.

Lauding Bose, Modi said 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, the prime minister noted.

Kartavya Path is not just a road of bricks and stones but a living example of India’s democratic past and all-time ideals, and will remind those, including politicians and bureaucrats, walking on the road of their duties, Modi said.

The prime minister cited new AIIMS and medical colleges, IITs and water connections as examples of social infrastructure.

Rural roads and a record number of modern expressways, railways and metro networks, and new airports are expanding transport infrastructure in an unprecedented manner, while optical fiber connectivity for panchayats and records of digital payments have made India’s digital infrastructure a topic of global appreciation, he said. PTI

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