New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced today that the government has renamed Port Blair to ‘Sri Vijaya Puram’ to shed its colonial legacy. Shah used the social media platform X to communicate the decision.
“Inspired by the vision of PM Narendra Modi to free the nation from the colonial imprints, today we have decided to rename Port Blair as “Sri Vijaya Puram.” While the earlier name had a colonial legacy, Sri Vijaya Puram symbolises the victory achieved in our freedom struggle and the A&N Islands’ unique role in the same,” said Shah.
Inspired by the vision of PM @narendramodi Ji, to free the nation from the colonial imprints, today we have decided to rename Port Blair as “Sri Vijaya Puram.”
While the earlier name had a colonial legacy, Sri Vijaya Puram symbolises the victory achieved in our freedom struggle…
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) September 13, 2024
The Union Home Minister further stated that the Andaman & Nicobar Islands hold a unique position in the annals of India’s freedom struggle.
“This island territory, once a naval base for the Chola Empire, is now set to become a pivotal base for our strategic and developmental goals. It is also the site where Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose first hoisted our national flag, and the infamous Cellular Jail where Veer Savarkar and other freedom fighters endured hardships for our nation’s independence,” Shah remarked.
The city was christened in memory of Captain Archibald Blair, an officer of the British East India Company. It is renowned for the Cellular Jail National Memorial, a historic prison that once confined many freedom fighters and individuals from various countries.
The renaming of cities or districts by the BJP government is not a novel occurrence. Previously, the BJP-led administration in Uttar Pradesh had renamed several places and railway stations to reclaim their historical names.
