Shimla to be renamed as Shyamala!

October 21: Under the regime of BJP government, both at the centre and majority of the states, the incident of renaming some of the famous places has gained momentum. The conception, as narrated by the ruling party is to wipe away the legacy of either the Mughals or the British, whom they termed as invaders. The names which bear testimony to the concept of slavery must be done away with. This was what one BJP leader was heard to proclaim.

The Himachal Pradesh government is considering renaming state capital Shimla to Shyamala, a demand made by right-wing Hindu groups as part of efforts to remove “symbols of British rule”. The clamour for renaming it after a local deity, Shyamala, picked up stormafter the Uttar Pradesh government renamed Allahabad as Prayagraj. The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), Antarrashtriya Hindu Parishad and Health Minister Vipin Parmar are in the favour of name change.

State health minister Vipin Parmar said that “there was no harm” in changing the name of Shimla, the summer capital of India under the British from 1864 to Independence, and landmarks associated with the British. They say the name was originally changed to Shimla as the British could not pronounce the name of the local deity Shyamala, whom they claim the city was named after. However, historians argue the name of the local deity was never used to refer to the town, which was the summer capital of the British from 1864 till Independence.

The demand to rename the hill station was also made in 2016, but was rejected by the then chief minister Virbhadra Singh, who said that Shimla is a internationally-famous tourist destination and that renaming could affect this status.

The VHP has also been seeking the state tourism department-run Hotel Peterhoff be named after sage Valmiki, author of the epic Ramayana. It has also been demanding Dalhousie be renamed after famous revolutionary leader Subhas Chandra Bose and Nurpur town should be named after 1857 war of independence warrior Ram Singh Pathania, instead of Mughal empress Noor Jahan.

So check it out whether the name of your place or any other establishment in your locality carries the legacy of Mughal or British days. If yes, then you may also be prepared to witness a change in the name of your place!