The Times of India
Now, Indore to become Indur, Bhopal Bhojpal
[ 18 Dec, 2006 0242Hrs Ist Times News Network ]
BHOPAL: After Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Thiruvananthapuram and Bengaluru, the Jabalpur Municipal Corporation has passed a resolution to rename the city to Jabalipuram.
The BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh government is also mulling renaming Bhopal to Bhojpal and Indore to Indur.
The resolution was passed in the Jabalpur Municipal Corporation meeting on Saturday, both by BJP and Congress members. Corporators said the city was being renamed after a sage in the 'Ramayana'. The resolution has been sent to the state government.
According to some BJP members, every part of the country should be renamed after carrying out historical analysis and research.
BJP leader Anil Dave told TOI, "Post Independence, we removed British statues from the country. So why can't we remove the British names of our cities?"
"It was a demand by the people of Jabalpur to name it after 'rishi' Jabali who had his meditation camp here," Jabalpur mayor Sushila Singh said. "Let us connect our city with the history and culture of our country. Jabalpur on the banks of river Narmada is a sacred place of Hindu sages."
Congress corporator Jagat Bahadur Singh said, "Sadhus gathered in my ward in Narsingh and proposed that the city be renamed after sage Jabali. This was Congress agenda, not the BJP's."
Renaming Bhopal to Bhojpal (the city of king Bhoj) after Bhoj Deva — the Paramara king who ruled the region from 1010 AD to 1055 AD and was a soldier, builder, scholar and patron of learning — was BJP's agenda.
Bhoj Deva's position in history matched Vikramaditya Chandragupta II who ruled from Ujjaini (now Ujjain).
The first attempt to connect Bhopal to Raja Bhoj was made in 2002 when the name of the city's airport was changed to Raja Bhoj International Airport.
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