The Union Government on Friday decided to rename Port Blair in Andaman and Nicobar Islands as Sri Vijaya Puram. This was announced by union Home Minister Amit Shah on social media. He tweeted: 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.”
With this decision, Sri Vijaya Puram becomes the capital city of the Union territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
He said that while the earlier name had a colonial legacy, Sri Vijaya Puram symbolises the victory achieved in our freedom struggle and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands’ unique role in the same. Amit Shah said, “Andaman & Nicobar Islands have an unparalleled place in our freedom struggle and history. The island territory that once served as the naval base of the Chola Empire is today poised to be the critical base for our strategic and development aspirations.”
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."
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) September 13, 2024
While the earlier name had a colonial legacy, Sri Vijaya Puram symbolises the victory achieved in our freedom struggle…
The home minister further added that “it is also the place that hosted the first unfurling of our Tiranga by Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Ji and also the cellular jail in which Veer Savarkar Ji and other freedom fighters struggled for an independent nation.”
Earlier in 2018, the Modi government had renamed three islands of Andaman and Nicobar archipelago as a tribute to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. The Ross Island was renamed as Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Dweep, the Neil Island as Shaheed Dweep and the Havelock Island as Swaraj Dweep, Modi said during a speech amidst thunderous applause from the audience here. These three islands are major tourist spots.
Then in January 2023, the govt named 21 large unnamed islands of the Union territory after Param Vir Chakra awardees on the occasion of Parakram Diwas. The prime minister had also unveiled the model of the National Memorial dedicated to Netaji to be built on Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Dweep, earlier known as Ross Islands.
