Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said India is not just working on physical or social infrastructure but also on cultural infrastructure.

Modi was addressing after inaugurating the revamped Rajpath in Central Delhi, which will now be known as ‘Kartavya Path’, which starts from the Rashtrapati Bhavan and ends at India Gate. Modi also unveiled a statue of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose near the India Gate.

“During British rule, a statue of a representative of the Britishers stood here. With the installation of Netaji’s statue, we’ve established a new path for an empowered India,” he said while adding that Netaji’s statue coming up at the spot where King George’s statue once stood, is like ‘Praan Pratishtha’ of a new India. “If India had walked the path shown by Netaji after Independence, it would have been a different story. But India forgot its hero,” he said.

Modi hoped that the redesigned road will give different feelings altogether. “Rajpath was for British Raj, for whom people were slaves. It was a symbol of colonialism. Today, its architecture and spirit has been changed. When the ministers, officers will pass through this route, it will remind them of their kartavya,” Modi said. Further, he said along with social and digital infrastructure, the country is also working on cultural infrastructure. He also said in the form of Kartavya Path, the country is getting one more excellent example of cultural infrastructure.

“You will see the India of the future here. It will give you a new vision, new belief. For the next three days, a drone show will be held based on the life of Netaji. People come here in large numbers in the evenings. The planning, designing and lighting of the Kartavya Path has been done keeping this in mind,” he added.

Kartavya Path is part of the Central Vista which will also have the new Parliament Building and various government offices replacing structures constructed during the British regime.

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