Shedding the colonial hangover, one relic at a time

With small but firm steps, PM Modi has been trying to free the administration of the colonial practices which have no relevance anymore

No political party would articulate that the markers of our slavery, the signposts of the British Raj, should continue to dot our cities and towns. But there had been scant effort to remove the signs which stood as ugly reminders of the era. Even as India rose as a confident, self assured nation, these markers seemed like a jarring note in our national symphony. And some of the colonial practices are so redundant now that nothing can explain the attitude of sticking to them except inertia against change.

With small but firm steps, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been trying to free the administration of the colonial practices which have no relevance anymore but are still carried on for these seven decades because nobody cared to take the call.

Less than two months after he assumed charge as Prime Minister in 2014, Narendra Modi announced that his government had full faith in our citizens and there was no need to attest certificates by a gazette officer anymore; self attestation would suffice. Only a student or job aspirant who has had to run from pillar to post to get her documents attested knows what this meant.

And that was just the beginning. Since then, PM Modi has been trying to erase the remnants of the colonial era. This, coupled with the efforts to restore India's pride in its cultural heritage, is aimed at making us feel more comfortable in our skin. It is aimed at countering the flawed hypothesis that a nation which takes pride in its glorious past is regressive. On the contrary, only a nation proud of its past can surge ahead with a focused target and aspire to hold its head high on the global stage.

Just a week before the installation of the iconic Netaji statue at the canopy at India Gate, the nation witnessed the unfurling of the new Navy ensign with the Tricolor and the seal of Shivaji Maharaj's naval forces. It may sound unpalatable to many but it is a fact that St George's Cross had continued to adorn our Naval Flag till last week!

There have been substantial and far reaching measures in this direction such as the repeal of 1500-odd redundant laws which had no relevance in our governance anymore. The merging of Railway Budget with the Union Budget, preponing the date of the budget speech and more recently the never-before thrust on teaching in mother tongue in the New Education Policy (NEP). These decisions have a direct bearing on policy and administration and the change in education is bound to have its decolonizing impact on generations.

Then there are those measures which are meant to give out a message to the country and the world. Among them can be counted the renaming of the 7, Race Course Road to 7, Lok Kalyan Marg, the official residence of the Prime Minister. The renaming of few islands in the Andaman and Nicobar archiepelago such as Ross Island to Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Dweep, Neil Island as Shaheed Dweep and Havelock Island as Swaraj Dweep.

PM Modi also inaugurated the Biplobi Bharat Gallery in Kolkata's Victoria Memorial dedicated to the revolutionaries of our freedom struggle.

Other steps include renaming of important streets in the national capital such as Aurangzeb Road to APJ Abdul Kalam Road and Dalhousie Road to Dara Shikoh Road.

Colonial relics are being phased out from the day-to-day practices of the armed forces too. Replacing the tune 'Abide With Me' to 'Aye Mere Watan ke Logon' as part of the Beating Retreat ceremony has already been discussed in the media for days. We also witnessed the emotional moment when the Amar Jawan Jyoti was merged with the National War Memorial.

While the measures listed above have made headlines, there are dozens of measures in various ministries which are being taken on a regular basis to rid our administration of the redundant and demeaning British Raj practices.

The granite statue of Netaji now stands tall in the vacant canopy that reminded us of our colonial subjugation for decades. And this statue at the rightly named Kartavya Path, in essence, is our bold statement to the world that India stands for Swaraj.

(Smita Mishra writes on politics and current affairs)

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are the personal opinions of the author. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of OneIndia and OneIndia does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.