PM Modi to rename 3 Islands in Andaman and Nicobar

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New Delhi: The central government has decided to change the names of 3 islands in Andaman and Nicobar. PM Narendra Modi will visit Port Blair on December 30 this year. Three major islands of Andaman and Nicobar namely, Rose Island, Neil Island, and Havelock Island will be renamed as Netaji Subash Chandra Bose Island, Shaheed Dweep and Swaraj Dweep respectively. PM will announce the new names formally in his visit to Port Blair this Sunday.

The demand to rename Havelock Island was first raised by BJP leader LA Ganesan in the Rajya Sabha in March 2017. He argued that naming a place after a person who had fought Indian patriots in 1857 was a matter of shame. Havelock Island is named after British general, Sir Henry Havelock, who served in India during the British administration. There is a statue of Henry Havelock in London for his role in crushing the forces of Indian patriots.    

Havelock Island in Andaman & Nicobar Photo: MakeMyTrip

Freedom Fighter Subash Chandra Bose had declared the formation of Azad Hind Fauj after his arrival in Southeast Asia in 1943. PM Modi is visiting Port Blair to mark the 75th anniversary of the declaration made by Subash Chandra Bose. PM Modi along with Home Minister Rajnath Singh will hoist a 150 metre- High national flag at Port Blair.

Under Bose’s leadership, the Azad Hind Fauj or Indian National Army (INA) drew ex-prisoners and thousands of civilian volunteers from the Indian expatriate population in erstwhile Malaya and Burma. The INA along with the Japanese Army fought against the British and Commonwealth forces. Bose had hoisted the flag in Andaman and Nicobar after the Japanese captured the area during Second World War.

As per the home ministry, all formalities have been completed to change the names of the listed islands.  

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