The Indian government officially renamed Port Blair on Friday, the capital of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, to “Sri Vijaya Puram.” This decision is part of a broader initiative to remove colonial influences from place names across India.
Home Minister’s Announcement
Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced the change, emphasizing the move’s symbolic importance. “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,'” Shah stated on X (formerly Twitter).
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Shah elaborated on the significance of the new name, noting that “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.”
Historical Context
The name “Sri Vijaya Puram” is inspired by the Sri Vijaya Empire, a prominent maritime dynasty in Southeast Asia that thrived from the 7th to 13th centuries. The home minister highlighted the historical connections of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands with India’s freedom struggle, noting their unparalleled place in the nation’s 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,” Shah explained. He also recalled the islands’ historical significance, including the first unfurling of the Indian national flag, the Tiranga, by Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose and the cellular jail where prominent freedom fighters like Veer Savarkar endured hardships.
Colonial Legacy of the Old Name
Port Blair, originally named after Captain Archibald Blair, was a British colonial navy official who conducted surveys of the Andaman Islands and the Chagos Archipelago. Appointed by the East India Company in 1788, Blair arrived in the Andaman Islands in 1789 to carry out his survey work.
