A quaint road in Delhi gains spotlight after PM Modi is conferred honour in Cyprus
On Monday, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi was conferred Cyprus' one of the highest civilian honour—the Grand Cross of the Order of Makarios III—it cast a quiet glow on a corner of central Delhi. Tucked behind Lodhi Road, a short, tree-lined stretch named Archbishop Makarios Marg suddenly found itself in the spotlight.
The road, renamed in the 1980s, honours Makarios III, the towering figure who served as Archbishop of the Church of Cyprus from 1950 to 1977 and later became the country's first President. He is widely regarded as the founding father of the Republic of Cyprus, leading its transition from British colonial rule. The award Modi received also bears his name, cementing a historical thread between Nicosia and New Delhi—one woven through shared diplomacy and the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM).
The Archbishop Makarios Marg, historians recall, was once called Golf Links Road. But in the wake of the 1983 NAM summit hosted in Delhi, it was among several roads rechristened in tribute to international leaders aligned with India's vision.
'A host of important leaders were in Delhi for the summit, including Fidel Castro,' said author Sohail Hashmi. 'Soon after, roads were renamed for them—Josip Broz Tito Marg, Gamal Abdel Nasser Marg, Ho Chi Minh Marg—and Makarios Marg. He was a freedom fighter and central to Cyprus' struggle for independence.'
'Pandit Nehru's role was instrumental in the non-aligned movement and this continued till the 1980s, particularly during Indira Gandhi's time, when India wholly believed in this ideology,' Hashmi added.
Prime Minister Modi, accepting the honour in Cyprus on Monday, expressed gratitude to the President and people of Cyprus, dedicating the award to the historic friendship between the two nations.
The road named after Makarios is a relic of a diplomatic era that once burned brightly. Political scientist Anuradha Chenoy, former dean at JNU's School of International Studies and now with OP Jindal Global University, said the road-naming spree of the 1980s was a reflection of India's deep commitment to NAM.
'I remember that summit—Fidel Castro, Yasser Arafat, had all come to Delhi,' said Chenoy. 'It was also a time when the city was being reimagined spatially. The Shanti Path diplomatic enclave was coming up, embassies were being consolidated, and roads were named after world leaders who stood for decolonisation and sovereignty. Makarios had passed away not long before. Naming a road after him was part of that ethos.'
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh remembered the archbishop's connection to India. In a post on X, he recalled Makarios' visit to India in 1962, where he spent two weeks as a guest of the Nehru government. 'When Pandit Nehru died in 1964, Cyprus declared a national day of mourning,' Ramesh wrote. 'In the early 1980s, a beautiful and busy street in Delhi's Golf Links area was named after him—although his name is split into two parts on the signboard.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
22 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
G7 summit: Modi arrives in Calgary to participate in outreach session
Calgary: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Calgary on Monday to participate in the outreach session of the G7 leaders' summit in Kananaskis, a resort in the Canadian Rockies. He will have a bilateral meeting with his host and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney late on Tuesday afternoon at the Pomeroy Kananaskis Mountain Lodge. The Canadian Prime Minister's Office confirmed the meeting on Monday evening. On his arrival in Calgary, Modi posted on X, 'Landed in Calgary, Canada, to take part in the G7 Summit. Will be meeting various leaders at the Summit and sharing my thoughts on important global issues. Will also be emphasising the priorities of the Global South.' Modi received a ceremonial welcome at the Calgary airport. India's acting high commissioner, Chinmoy Naik, was among those who received him. Modi has a packed schedule for the outreach session on Tuesday, beginning with multiple bilaterals and possible pull-asides before it begins formally with Carney welcoming the leaders and international organisations before the customary family photograph. Carney will host a working luncheon on energy security in the afternoon, at which Modi will be present. Much attention will be focused on India-Canada relations. The ties were soured in September 2023, when Carney's predecessor, Justin Trudeau, told the House of Commons that there were credible allegations of a potential link between Indian agents and the killing of pro-Khalistan figure Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, British Columbia, three months earlier. India rejected the accusations as 'absurd' and 'motivated.' In October last year, matters worsened as Canada asked New Delhi to waive diplomatic immunity for six officials so they could be questioned in connection with 'violent criminal activity' in Canada. India withdrew the officials, including then high commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma, and, in retaliation, expelled six Canadian diplomats. A thaw has been in the offing since Carney took over this spring. Carney's invitation to Modi for the G7 summit despite the objections of the pro-Khalistan lobby further laid the ground for a reset. Enhanced cooperation and intelligence sharing between law enforcement agencies and trade are among the items likely to be on the agenda.
Hans India
25 minutes ago
- Hans India
Will share my thoughts on important global issues, says PM Modi ahead of G7 Summit
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said he will be meeting various leaders during the G7 Summit in Canada and share his thoughts on vital global issues. PM Modi has landed in Calgary, Canada, where he will take part in the G7 Summit. After landing on Tuesday, he posted on his X handle that during his meetings with leaders, he will emphasise the Global South priorities. 'Landed in Calgary, Canada, to take part in the G7 Summit. Will be meeting various leaders at the Summit and sharing my thoughts on important global issues. Will also be emphasising the priorities of the Global South,' PM Modi posted on his X handle. He arrived in Calgary to participate in the G7 Summit at the invitation of Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney. On arrival, he was received by Acting Indian High Commissioner Chinmoy Naik, Canadian officials, and leaders of Canada's First Nation, the native people of the country. He will go to the picturesque resort town of Kananaskis, where the summit started earlier on Monday under tight security, and will feature him and other invitees at Tuesday's session. PM Modi arrived in Canada after a successful visit to Cyprus, where he had "wide-ranging talks, covering the full range of India-Cyprus relations" with President Nikos Christodoulides. Before leaving India, PM Modi posted on X that the G7 summit "will give a great platform to exchange perspectives on various global issues and elaborate on the priorities of the Global South". He will be interacting with G7 leaders, President Emmanuel Macron of France, Prime Ministers Keir Starmer of Britain, Giorgia Meloni of Italy, Shigeru Ishiba of Japan, Chancellor Friedrich Merz of Germany, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa along with host Carney, who is also the President of G7. PM Modi will not be meeting US President Donald Trump, who was cutting short his presence at the summit to return home to deal with the Iran-Israel crisis. Other invitees to the G7 meeting are Presidents Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine, Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of Brazil, and Lee Jae-Myung of South Korea, and Prime Ministers Anthony Albanese of Australia and Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa. This will be an opportunity for PM Modi to have face-to-face meetings with these powerful leaders of industrialised countries after the April 22 Pahalgam terrorist attack and Operation Sindoor targeting terrorist outfits operating in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir. PM Modi's visit also comes at a pivotal moment for India-Canada relations, which Carney is trying to reset after it had been marred by former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who was influenced by Khalistan supporters.
Time of India
33 minutes ago
- Time of India
'Will meet leaders at G7 Summit, share my thoughts on important global issues': PM Modi in Canada
Calgary [Canada]: After arriving in Canada's Calgary, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday (local time) said that he will meet various leaders at the G7 Summit and share his thoughts on important global issues. PM Modi said he will also emphasise the priorities of the Global South. This visit is part of PM Modi's three-nation official tour, which began with Cyprus and will conclude with Croatia. In a post on X, PM Modi stated, "Landed in Calgary, Canada, to take part in the G7 Summit. Will be meeting various leaders at the Summit and sharing my thoughts on important global issues. Will also be emphasising the priorities of the Global South." Ministry of External Affairs official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that PM Modi will be participating in G7 discussions on the future of energy security, including diversification, technology, infrastructure and investment, to ensure access and affordability in a changing world. "At the invitation of PM @MarkJCarney, PM @narendramodi arrives in Alberta, Canada for the G7 Summit. PM will be participating in @G7 discussions on the future of energy security, including diversification, technology, infrastructure and investment, to ensure access and affordability in a changing world. PM will also hold several bilateral meetings on the sidelines,"Jaiswal posted on X. Live Events The Prime Minister arrived in Canada after concluding his visit to Cyprus. PM Modi's visit to Canada marks a significant moment in bilateral ties following a phase of strained diplomatic relations. On Monday, India's Acting High Commissioner to Canada, Chinmoy Naik, expressed optimism over discussions set to be held between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Canadian counterpart Mark Carney on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Alberta. Speaking to ANI, Naik stated that PM Modi has been invited to G7 Summit by Carney and noted that India will be participating in the G7 Summit as a guest country for the sixth time. He stated that India at the G7 Summit will speak about energy security, innovation, new technologies like AI. On PM Modi's visit to G7 Summit, he said, "As your are aware that honourable Prime Minister of India has been invited to attend the G7 2025 Summit as an outreach guest country by the honorable Prime Minister of Canada Mark Carney. This is the sixth consecutive time India is coming to G7 as a guest country which speaks for India's importance on the world stage today. In this particular G7, India will be speaking about energy security, innovation, new technologies like AI, Quantum etc, which are contemporary topics that will effect all of us and our views will will definitely get noticed, I am sure." "In addition to that, there will be bilaterals on the sidelines. As you know, the G7 countries and also some other rich countries are also here in Calgary and there will be interactions on that front as well. That also includes interaction with meeting with Honourable Mark Carney, Prime Minister of Canada as well," the Indian envoy said. The G7 Summit is an annual gathering of leaders from the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Japan, Italy, Canada, and the European Union (EU). This marks PM Modi's sixth consecutive participation in the G7 Summit. Asked about his expectation regarding bilateral ties following the meeting between PM Modi and Carney, Naik said, "At this point, I'll just say that honourable Prime Minister tweeted the moment Prime Minister Mark Carney was elected. So that was a good signal. And now we are seeing the visit happening at his invitation. I think those hold significance in themselves. We will see how the discussion goes and what comes out of it. I would say the direction looks positive. But as I said, around this visit and around this meeting, you can already see so much of enthusiasm and positivity, which is what should be noted." Ties between two nations became strained after Canadian allegations that Indian agents were involved in the killing of NIA-designated terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar outside a gurdwara in Canada in 2023. India had strongly rejected the allegations and termed them "politically motivated." The diplomatic standoff escalated as both countries expelled senior diplomats in a tit-for-tat response. India has consistently voiced concerns about extremism and anti-India activities on Canadian soil and urged Canadian authorities to take concrete steps to curb such activities. Economic Times WhatsApp channel )
