As far back as the Yogi government in Uttar Pradesh renamed Allahabad to Prayagraj, and also proclaimed that Faizabad district will now be recognized as Ayodhya there has been a whirlwind of similar requests for changing names of different localities.
‘Andaman & Nicobar to Shaheed & Swaraj Islands’
The most recent interest has arisen from the people of Netaji Subash Chandra Bose. Netaji’s relative and West Bengal BJP Vice President Chandra Kumar Bose has written to PM Modi requesting that Andaman and Nicobar Islands be renamed to ‘Shaheed and Swaraj Islands’ as a tribute to Netaji.
In his letter, Chandra Bose said that Netaji “as the First Prime Minister of United Free India” had lifted the national banner at Port Blair on December 30, 1943, accordingly building up the Azad Hind government. He said that following this, Netaji had renamed Andaman and Nicobar Islands to Shaheed and Swaraj Islands.
‘Pune should be called Jijapur’
Similarly, In a letter issued to the Maharashtra government, Sambhaji Brigade, a Maratha association has also tried to rename the city of Pune to Jijapur. The interest comes in the wake of Shiv Sena requesting that Aurangabad, Osmanabad, and Khultabad in Marathwada zone ought to be renamed to Sambhaji Nagar, Dharashiv, and Ratnaprabha, individually. Clarifying the terminology Jijapur, the proposed name depends on the name of Chhatrapati Shivaji’s mom, Jijamata.
Jijamata was a great and visionary, who ploughed the deserted Punawadi’s land in the 17th century with a golden plough, which is deemed as the beginning of Pune’s prosperity.
