Diplomatic Musing – The Name Game

 

Diplomatic Musing – The Name Game

We, rightly or wrongly, are engaging ourselves in changing names of roads, buildings, cities, railway stations, airports, institutions and so on ‘to set the wrongs of history right in their right perspective’ as seen by the ruling elite. PM Narendra Modi reiterated its resolve in his address to the nation on August 15 from the rampart of the Red

Fort and said, ‘ किसी भी कोने में गुलामी का अंश न रह जाए। अब हमें शत-प्रतिशत उन गुलामी के विचारों से पार पाना है, जिसने हमें जकड़कर रखा है। हमें गुलामी की छोटी से छोटी चीज भी नजर आती है तो हमें उससे मुक्ति पानी ही होगी’ The thought and process could be a matter of debate but I see no point in taking it that far. Let us see how things are folding up.

PM Narendra Modi threw open the Central Vista Avenue in the national capital of New Delhi on September 8.  Name of the historic landmark – Raj Path – adorned by the majestic Rashtrapati Bhawan on one end and the magnificent India Gate on the other has been changed to – Kartavya Path as “It symbolizes a shift from erstwhile Rajpath being an icon of power to Kartavya Path being an example of public ownership and empowerment.  The canopy at the India Gate has been uplifted by a 28 feet tall statue of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose to provide a due and rightful space to the national hero. Again, I will refrain from sitting on judgment of the decision expect saying that PM Jawaharlal Nehru named the ‘road leading to the seat power’ as Rajpath in 1955 by changing the Kingsway and an intersection called the Queensway as Jan Path. Just to add to the story, I may add that I learnt from a reliable source, when I was working as a junior official in the PMO in 1974-77, that the iconic

writer, Harivansh Rai Bachchan, father of the legendary actor, Amitab Bachchan, suggested these names of Raj Path and Jan Path as a friend of PM Nehru and the Hindi Advisor in the Ministry of External Affairs. The Raj Path and its soundings has been the most attractive and well kept spot of the Lutyens’ Delhi. Nobody should dispute and negate the fact that the current government has done a good and appreciative job in redoing and improving its infrastructure and ambiance betting to the stature of India. PM Narendra Modi in his speech at the inaugural function said and explained why the name of Raj Path has been changed to Kartavya Path , ‘ये बदलाव केवल प्रतीकों तक ही सीमित नहीं है, ये बदलाव देश की नीतियों का भी हिस्सा बन चुका है। आज देश अंग्रेजों के जमाने से चले आ रहे सैकड़ों क़ानूनों को बदल चुका है। भारतीय बजट, जो इतने दशकों से ब्रिटिश संसद के समय का अनुसरण कर रहा था, उसका समय और तारीख भी बदली गई है। राष्ट्रीय शिक्षा नीति के जरिए अब विदेशी भाषा की मजबूरी से भी देश के युवाओं को आजाद किया जा रहा है। यानी, आज देश का विचार और देश का व्यवहार दोनों गुलामी की मानसिकता से मुक्त हो रहे हैं। ये मुक्ति हमें विकसित भारत के लक्ष्य तक लेकर जाएगी।

Now I come to my musing with regard to naming of a road not far from the Kartavya Path. It was sometime in 2000 when I was working in the Ministry of External Affairs as the Director of the Central Asia Division. President of Kyrgyzstan Askar Akayev was on

a visit to India. The Hindi version of the Kyrgyz epic Manas was officially released by the visiting President and PM Atal Bihar Vajpayee at Hyderabad House. It was also decided that a road in Delhi will be named after the Manas and accordingly Saint Martin Marg, where Jesus and Mary College is located in Chanakyapuri, was identified to rename it. All arrangements were put in place by the NDMC and the next day it was to be officially opened in the presence of the visiting dignitary. Late in the evening when I was still in my office in South Block, I got a call from either NDMC or Police authorities or our Protocol, I don’t recall it exactly, that all was not well and Saint Martin Marg cannot be changed as the Christian community and Jesus and Mary College were dead against it and  started some sort of protest and sit-in (dharna) at the site. Presidential banquet hosted in the honour of President Akayev was in progress at Rashtrapati Bhawan. My immediate boss Joint Secretary Aloke Sen was also there. I rushed to Rashtrapati Bhawan, as there were no mobile phones available to us at that time, and informed him of the position. It was a big fiasco. Aloke Sen immediately informed the Secretary and EAM Jaswant Singh. Without delay a new decision was taken, while I was still, late in the night, sitting in the ante-room. It was decided, may be in consultation with NDMC and PM Atal Bihari

Vajpayee, that another road close by will be named after the Manas. NDMC and CPWD would make all necessary arrangements immediately in the night itself and the opening function will be held as was planned. It was a big relief. One small road close by, now near Lovely Unisex Saloon, was named as The Manas Marg which is still there signifying India-Kyrgyz friendly relations. Naming or renaming may be problematic sometimes.

India is a dignified member of the comity of nations. With a view to understand and appreciate each other, we name roads or institutions in the name of international dignitaries as a gesture of goodwill. Similarly in reciprocation, India also gets the same treatment and rightly so. Since we are talking about the ‘remnants of slavery’, I have yet another musing in this regard. Mahatma Gandhi was the lead player or actor in our struggle for freedom from the British colonial rule, we all know. Obviously, the British colonialists were not happy with him. PM Winston Churchill called him as a ‘naked fakir’. But Mahatma Gandhi is a much celebrated personality not in India alone but throughout the world including the UK. While even after 75 years of our independence, we are busy in removing the ‘Gulami ke ansh’, Mahatma Gandhi is celebrated and honoured in the UK. Since we are talking about the name change of roads, I have something to share here. A road leading to one of the main gates of a

prominent park in Edinburgh, which also has a beautiful and majestic statue of Mahatma Gandhi, was named as “Mahatma Gandhi Avenue’. It was my honour and pleasure to be there at the ceremony, led by the Lord Mayor of Edinburgh, at the park sometime in 2008 as the Consul General of India when we were observing the International Day of Non-violence on October 2, the birthday of the Mahatma. Is there any message in this? One may think and decide one’s own. History of ‘good or bad: glorious or shameful’ past will remain. It cannot be erased. Let us join hands to make India a self-relent India as visualized by PM Narendra Modi in his Mantra of ‘Sab Ka Sath, Sab Ka Vikash and Sab Ka Vishbas. There is no other way to transform India into Bharat.

Zarā dekh us ko jo kuchh ho rahā hai hone vaalā hai

Dharā kyā hai bhalā ahd-e-kuhan kī dāstānoñ meñ