'Freeing From Colonial Imprints': Andaman And Nicobar Islands Capital Port Blair Renamed To Sri Vijaya Puram

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday (13 September) announced renaming the capital city of Andaman and Nicobar (A&N) Islands, Port Blair to Sri Vijaya Puram.

He said that the decision is inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision to free the nation from colonial imprints and is in line with similar decisions in the past.

"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," Shah posted on X.

Recalling the unparalleled place of A&N Islands in our freedom struggle and history, the Home Minister mentioned its links to freedom fighters like Subhash Chandra Bose and Vinayak Damodar Savarkar.

"It is also the place that hosted the first unfurling of our Tiranga by Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Ji and also the cellular jail in which Veer Savarkar Ji and other freedom fighters struggled for an independent nation," he said.

Shah highlighted, "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."