IT WAS a golden moment in the modern history of India, when Union Home Minister Mr. Amit Shah announced that the Port Blair was renamed as ‘Sri Vijaya Puram’. Renaming the capital city of the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, marked one more step towards shedding colonial baggage and recognising the importance of the heritage of Bharat. Of course, prior to this also, Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi had renamed three islands Ross Island, Neil Island, and Havelock Island as Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Dweep, Shaheed Dweep, and Swaraj Dweep respectively.The renaming of Port Blair as Sri Vijaya Puram marks an important event. Its import is not only for one particular island, but also for the entire Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Though most of the islands divided into Andaman and Nicobar groups are not inhabited, they bear a great strategic significance for India. The Chola empire was probably the first to realise the strategic importance of the islands.

 

Then, theAndaman islands were used as strategic naval base, from where the Indian heritage footprint expanded to south-east Asia. Even today, these cultural ties are intact in many a country. Sadly, the islands with such a great history were turned into a penal colony by the East India Company following the 1857 revolt, which SwatantryaveerVinayak Damodar Savarkar described as the first war of Independence against the British. The British kept the key Indian revolutionaries including Savarkar languishing in the infamous ‘Cellular Jail’ on the islands. The British colonial mindset distorted the symbols of rich Indian history into negative entities. What was once a gateway to south-east Asia through sea-route was turned into ‘Kaala Paani’ by the British. This colonial baggage was shed by Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose when he first hoisted the Indian national tricolour on the islands. As India gained Independence from the British, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands rightfully became pilgrimage sites.

 

People offered their respects at the cell where Savarkar was confined in the Cellular Jail. Gradually, it became national monument. Also, the independent India did not miss out on recognising strategic significance of the islands, and established Strategic Command there. Thus, the process of shedding colonial baggage actually began soon after India gained Independence from the British. Those trying to derive political meaning out of the renaming of the islands are the people not proud of ancient Indian history or Indian heroes. These people want to exploit everything to further their own divisive political agenda. Hence, people see in such politically motivated lot the remnants of the British Raj in India. Except for these people with pathological contempt for Indian history, heritage, culture, and traditions, all Indians welcome the renaming of Port Blair. The ordinary Indians were waiting for such a change to take place as they were fed up of distorted historical narratives aimed at creating a kind of inferiority complex about Indian history and heritage. They were not happy with the continuation of British colonial baggage. Today, they are confident that ‘Bharatiya’ values can propel their growth on the world stage. Hence, all the Indians welcome ‘Sri Vijaya Puram’ wholeheartedly as a symbol of awaited change.