Port Blair Renamed to Sri Vijaya Puram

The Indian government has announced the renaming of Port Blair, the capital of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, to Sri Vijaya Puram, in an effort to shed colonial legacies and honor the region's role in India's freedom struggle. Union Home Minister Amit Shah emphasized that the new name symbolizes the victory achieved in the independence movement and the island's historical significance, including its use as a naval base for the Chola Empire and the site of the first unfurling of the Indian flag by Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. The decision has garnered mixed reactions; while BJP leaders and some locals support the change, Congress leaders and others criticize the lack of public consultation. Shah also referred to the Cellular Jail, where notable freedom fighters, including Veer Savarkar, were imprisoned. This renaming follows earlier efforts by the Modi government to rename other islands in the archipelago as tributes to freedom fighters.