India Gate Rename Row: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Minority Morcha President Jamal Siddiqui has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealing to change the name of India Gate to ‘Bharat Mata Dwar’. Siddiqui claimed in his letter that the Modi-led government has worked to heal the wounds inflicted by the Mughal invaders and British plunderers. He said, “Changing the name of India Gate to Bharat Mata Dwar would be a true tribute to the thousands of patriots who made the supreme sacrifice and whose names are inscribed on it.”
Siddiqui said the Prime Minister Modi-led government renamed a road named after Aurangzeb as APJ Kalam Azad Road and replaced the statue of King George V at India Gate with the statue of Subhash Chandra Bose. He said that the name of Rajpath was changed to Dutva Path by linking it with Indian culture, similarly India Gate can be named ‘Bharat Mata Dwar’.
He said, “Sir, you changed the name of the road named after the cruel Mughal Aurangzeb to APJ Kalam Road. Removed the statue of King George V from India Gate and replaced it with the statue of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose and changed the name of Rajpath to ‘Duty. Path’ and added the culture of India. Similarly, I humbly request you to please change the name of India Gate to Bharat Mata Dwar.”
He said, “Changing the name of India Gate to Bharat Mata Dwar will be a true tribute to the thousands of martyrs whose names are inscribed on the pillar. I humbly request you to consider my proposal and allow the name Bharat Mata Dwar.”
In July last year, the iconic ‘Durbar Hall’ and ‘Ashoka Hall’ of Rashtrapati Bhavan were renamed as ‘Ganatantra Mandap’ and ‘Ashoka Mandap’ respectively. The ‘Durbar Hall’ is the venue for important functions and ceremonies such as the presentation of national awards. At the same time, ‘Ashoka Hall’ was originally a ballroom.
History and importance of India Gate
India Gate, located near Kartavya Path in New Delhi, has stood for years as a solemn war memorial honoring the sacrifice of approximately 75,000 soldiers of the Indian Army. These soldiers sacrificed their lives during the First World War (1914-1921). Designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, the architectural style of India Gate takes inspiration from ancient Roman triumphal arches such as the Arch of Constantine in Rome. It is also compared to iconic structures like the Arc de Triomphe in Paris and the Gateway of India in Mumbai.
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Recognized as one of the largest war memorials in India, India Gate is a symbol of national pride. On Republic Day, the Prime Minister visits the memorial to pay homage to Amar Jawan Jyoti. This is followed by the Republic Day Parade, making it an important milestone in the ceremonial traditions of India.