Modi@9: How PM Modi is moving away from colonial past

It’s been nine years of Narendra Modi. After first being sworn in as prime minister of India on 26 May 2014 and then storming back to power in 30 May 2019, it’s been nine unforgettable years of the Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) regime. In these years, there have been many highs and a few lows.
But one of the most significant highs in the Modi era has been how the prime minister has helped the nation slowly but surely shed its colonial baggage. Addressing the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort on India’s 76th Independence Day in 2022, he had said, “In no part of our existence, not even in the deepest corners of our mind or habits should there be any ounce of slavery. It should be nipped there itself. We have to liberate ourselves from the slavery mind set which is visible in innumerable things within and around us.”
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And Modi has been untiring in his efforts to ensure India “give up the colonial-era mentality” and move towards an ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’.
Also read: 9 Years of Modi Government: From a new Parliament to Statue of Unity, the architectural wonders of Narendra Modi’s India
Let’s take a look.
New Parliament
Two days before his nine-year anniversary, on 29 May, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a grand event inaugurated the new Parliament building , which also saw the installation of the historic ‘ sengol ’ in the Lok Sabha chamber.
Before the grand inauguration, Modi had tweeted, “May this iconic building be a cradle of empowerment, igniting dreams and nurturing them into reality. May it propel our great nation to new heights of progress.”

Speaking from the new triangular , four-storey high structure, Modi had said that the country had left behind its colonial past, referring to the old Parliament building that was built by the British when they ruled India. “India is the mother of democracy,” Modi said, as lawmakers thumped their desks. “Several years of foreign rule stole our pride from us. Today, India has left behind that colonial mindset.”
The new building, designed by Ahmedabad-based Bimal Patel at an estimated cost of Rs 970 crore, is a true representation of India with material used for the new building being sourced from across the country. For instance, the teakwood used in the building is sourced from Nagpur in Maharashtra, whereas the red and white sandstone comes from Sarmathura in Rajasthan. The Kesharia green stone has been procured from Udaipur, the red granite from Lakha near Ajmer and the white marble has been sourced from Ambaji in Rajasthan.
Also, the Lok Sabha chamber has a peacock theme, representative of our national bird whereas the new Rajya Sabha hall is built on the lotus theme – India’s national flower.
Rajpath renamed Kartavya Path
In line with his resolve for New India in Amrit Kaal to ‘remove any trace of colonial mindset’, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the ‘Kartavya Path’ in New Delhi on 8 September 2022. The Narendra Modi government renamed the iconic stretch from Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate in Delhi as a way to shed the colonial baggage.
Rajpath — the ceremonial boulevard that runs from Rashtrapati Bhawan all the way down to Vijay Chowk and India Gate, and ends at the 16th century fort, Purana Qila — was named by the British as ‘Kingsway’ in honour of King George V who visited this new city during the Delhi Durbar of 1911 and proclaimed the shift of the capital from Calcutta to the erstwhile centre of Mughal power.
Delhiites throng Kartavya Path as it opens to public. The iconic stretch, earlier called Rajpath, was renamed as a way to shed the colonial baggage. File image/PTI
Like much of central Delhi, Rajpath was designed by British architect Sir Edwin Lutyens. It was set up to offer an uninterrupted view of the new city from the Rashtrapati Bhavan, which was the Viceroy’s palace at the time and today serves as the official residence of the President of India.
Following the independence of India, the road was given its Hindi name, ‘Rajpath’, in place of its English designation. This represents a mere translation more than a substantial renaming, since ‘Rajpath’ in Hindi is broadly analogous in meaning to ‘King’s way’.
On the day of the inauguration, Modi had said: “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. Kingsway, that is, 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.”
King George V replaced by Netaji
In January 2022, on the occasion of the 125th birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Prime Minister Modi unveiled a hologram statue of the freedom fighter at India Gate.
The 28-foot-long hologram statue was installed under a canopy, which was empty since 1968 when the statue of King George V was removed. This hologram statue is a placeholder for a 25-foot-long statue of Netaji made of granite.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurates 28-feet statue of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. File image/PTI
While unveiling the hologram statue, PM Modi had said the country is correcting “mistakes” made after independence when, according to him, efforts were made to erase the contribution of “several great personalities” along with the nation’s heritage and culture.
Later, on 8 September last year, the prime minister unveiled the statue of Netaji at India Gate. While dedicating the black granite statue to the country, Modi said: “If after independence India had followed the path of Subhas 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.”
“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 had added.
A new naval ensign
In his pursuit to move past colonial vestiges, Prime Minister Modi also felt that it was necessary to have a new naval ensign, which would be a representation of India. Hence, on 2 September while commissioning India’s first indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant , he also unveiled the new Indian Navy ensign, inspired from the seal of the great Indian emperor, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
The new ensign sees the Tricolour placed on the upper canton (top left) of the flag, and on the right a blue octagonal shape that encompasses the national emblem sits atop an anchor, which depicts steadfastness, the Navy said. The octagonal shape was designed to represent eight directions, symbolising the multi-directional reach and multi-dimensional operational capability of the Indian Navy, while the twin golden borders surrounding it are said to draw inspiration from Chhatrapati Shivaji.
The new Indian Navy ensign unveiled by PM Modi. Image Courtesy: Indian Navy/Twitter
Below the shield, within the octagon, is inscribed the motto of the Indian Navy “Sam No Varunah” (a prayer to the God of the sea, Varuna).
The new naval ensign, which the PM unveiled in Kochi replaces the present ensign that carries the Saint George’s Cross with the Tricolour in the canton (top left corner of flag).
Speaking at the event, Prime Minister Modi had said, “Till now the identity of slavery remained on the flag of Indian Navy. But from today onwards, inspired by Chhatrapati Shivaji, the new navy flag will fly in the sea and in the sky.”
No more Abide With Me hymn
Another example of India moving away from India’s colonial past was the decision to replace the Christian hymn Abide with me at the Beating Retreat Ceremony during the Republic Day celebrations in 2022 with Kavi Pradeep’s Aye Mere Watan Ke Logon .
The Beating Retreat ceremony had earlier also seen the introduction of classical instruments such as sitar, santoor, and the tabla.
Tri-services bands perform during the Beating Retreat ceremony at Vijay Chowk in New Delhi. File image/PTI
Merging Amar Jawan Jyoti with National War Memorial
Amar Jawan Jyoti, the ‘eternal flame’, was merged with the flame of the National War Memorial (NWM) in 2019.
Also read: The flame of Amar Jawan Jyoti has finally got a fitting space
The NWM houses the names of all Indian martyrs from all the wars, including 1971 and wars before and after it. The NWM is thus a memorial for all soldiers who have either laid down their lives or will do so in the future in the service of independent India.
Renaming Andaman and Nicobar islands
Taking a page out of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s book, PM Modi in December 2018 renamed three islands of the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago. Back in 1943, Bose had suggested that Andaman and Nicobar Islands be renamed as Shahid and Swaraj Dweep respectively.
In a tribute to the freedom fighter, Ross Island was renamed as Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Dweep, the Neil Island as Shaheed Dweep and the Havelock Island as Swaraj Dweep.
Shedding other colonial baggage
Modi in his nine years of power has undertaken many other steps to ensure that India moves away from its colonial past. In 2017, then Finance Minister Arun Jaitley presented the Budget on 1 February — in a break from the past where the Budget was announced on the last day of February. The Rail Budget was also merged with the Union Budget after it had been presented separately for 92 years, in yet another departure from British-era practices.
Moreover, the Race Course Road in Lutyen’s Delhi was renamed to Lok Kalyan Marg in 2016. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s famous residential address 7, Race Course Road thus became 7, Lok Kalyan Marg.
And since 2014, Modi government has repealed more than 1500 old and obsolete laws. Most of these laws were remnants of the British era.
With inputs from agencies
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