Why Rajpath has been named as Kartavya Path?





*Rajpath* is the boulevard that runs from the *Rashtrapati Bhawan* to *Vijay Chowk* and *India Gate* and ends at *Purana Qila*. It is one of the most important roads in India, it is where the annual Republic Day parade takes place on 26 January. Its earlier name was Kingsway after *King George V*, who visited Delhi during the Delhi Durbar of 1911 and shifted the capital from Calcutta to the city. Following the independence of India, the road was given its Hindi name, 'Rajpath', whose literal meaning is *King's way*, to symbolize the end of the British Raj.

The name Rajpath which means the path of the state was bisected by the road named Janpath meaning the People's Path in the middle. Recently, the name of Rajpath was changed to Kartavya Path. PM Modi said “ *Rajpath*, earlier known as Kingsway (before Independence), 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. Now when parliamentarians, ministers, and officers go on the ‘Kartavya Path’, they would be reminded of their duties and will get inspired". Rajpath symbolized the power of the ruler and was meant for the British for whom the people of India were slaves. Meanwhile, Kartavya Path symbolizes the duty to serve. The change in the name was an attempt to eliminate names and symbols indicative of colonialism's latter days and the British Empire.

However, there have been mixed responses to this change. Some agree that this is a positive change, while some think that the concept of Rajpath and Janpath crossing each other would not stay the same.



Written by Shivani Mahapatra 

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