Marking a bold reclamation of heritage, ‘Rajaji Utsav’ commenced at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on Monday. President Droupadi Murmu unveiled the statue of freedom luminary C. Rajagopalachari, ousting the relic of British designer Edwin Lutyens and heralding a new era of national reverence.
PM Narendra Modi enthusiastically endorsed the festival on X, terming it an ‘outstanding initiative’ that masterfully unveils Rajagopalachari’s vast contributions. ‘I request all to join and be inspired,’ he urged in his repost of the official update.
Modi had previewed this cultural pivot in his preceding ‘Mann Ki Baat,’ underscoring India’s transition from servitude symbols to civilizational anchors. Rashtrapati Bhavan’s step with ‘Rajaji Utsav’ exemplifies this ethos. He tied it to the first of his five Amrit vows: vanquishing the mindset of enslavement, as pronounced at the Red Fort.
The first Indian Governor-General of free India, Rajagopalachari treated power as duty, his life a testament to discipline and original thought. PM Modi decried how independence failed to promptly remove imperial effigies like Lutyens’, denying space to sons of the soil.
Open from February 24 to March 1, the utsav immerses attendees in Rajaji’s saga through artifacts and narratives. It galvanizes national consciousness, promoting pride in unsung architects of India’s destiny and steering the youth towards value-driven leadership.