President Droupadi Murmu on Monday unveiled a bust of Chakravarti Rajagopalachari, the first and only Indian Governor General of independent India, at Rashtrapati Bhavan.The bust, installed at the Grand Open Staircase near Ashok Mandap, replaces that of British architect Edwin Lutyens.PM Modi had earlier announced the replacement during his monthly Mann Ki Baat broadcast.“His (Rajagopalachari) conduct, self-restraint, and independent thinking in public life inspire us even today. Unfortunately, even after independence, statues of British administrators were allowed to remain in Rashtrapati Bhavan, but those of the nation’s greatest sons were denied space,” the Prime Minister had said.At the event, a musical rendition of all six stanzas of Vande Mataram was performed. Among those present at the ceremony were vice president CP Radhakrishnan; union health and family welfare minister JP Nadda; external affairs minister S Jaishankar; education minister Dharmendra Pradhan; culture and tourism minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat; minister of state for information and broadcasting L Murugan; and members of Rajagopalachari’s family.Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a message read out by Shekhawat, said the replacement of the bust was an act of “mental decolonisation.”PM Modi in a post on X hailed the move as one to “honour” the figures who shaped country destiny and do away with the “colonial mindset”. “A commendable effort, which reflects India’s resolve to honour those who shaped our destiny and to shed remnants of a colonial mindset. Rajaji was a towering scholar, freedom fighter, thinker and administrator. His life embodied integrity, intellect and unwavering commitment to the nation.”In her address, President Murmu recalled Rajagopalachari’s contributions at Rashtrapati Bhavan, including his initiative to begin the cultivation of crops on a portion of the campus.Chakravarti Rajagopalachari was born on December 10, 1878, in the Madras Presidency. He was a lawyer and later joined the Indian National Congress after leaving his legal practice, becoming an early associate of Mahatma Gandhi and participating in protests against British rule.He was involved in the Rowlatt Act agitation, the Non-Cooperation Movement and the Civil Disobedience Movement.Rajagopalachari was elected to the Constituent Assembly from Madras on a Congress ticket and served on the sub-committee on minorities. He was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1954.
