‘Why was the name Bombay changed to Mumbai?’: VHP leader

It may be lsquoNewrsquo Delhi but the accent is on the old as the Vishva Hindu Parishad VHP stoked a controversy asking for a name change of the capital The VHP wrote to Delhi Culture Minister Kapil Mishra demanding that the city be renamed lsquoIndraprastharsquo to connect it with its ancient history and cultureThe letter also demands renaming Indira Gandhi International Airport IGI Airport as Indraprastha International Airport Delhi railway station as Indraprastha railway station and Shahjahanabad Development Board as Indraprastha Development Board reports statedThe VHP Delhi prant secretary Surendra Kumar Gupta said in the letter that the name of Delhi ldquoshould be changed back to Indraprasthardquo so that the name of the capital can be associated with its ldquoancient history and culturerdquo It is believed that a city called Indraprastha mentioned in the Mahabharata corresponds to modernday DelhiShriraj Nair VHP national spokesperson from Mumbai and joint secretary of the organisationrsquos Konkan chapter defended the demand while disagreeing with accusations that name changes were a distraction from matters of greater importance and urgencyWhy this sudden demand to change Delhirsquos name It is creating unnecessary controversyIt is not controversial nor is it unnecessary Bharat stands as a testament to the enduring power of its ancient culture and civilisation Our nationrsquos history stretches back millennia marked by a continuity that has weathered countless storms The Independence we achieved in 1947 was not the birth of a new nation but the reaffirmation of a civilisation that has thrived for ages There is a realisation and there must be recognition of thatYes we got Independence in 1947 so why all these suggestionsdemands for name changes after so many yearshellipSo many years are testament to Bharatrsquos resilience and its ability to withstand the brutal invasions of Islamic conquerors and the colonial masters who followed For several years after that we had a government with a mindset as an extension of the British and our colonial past That is no longer true since 2014 We have to pay tribute to a civilisation that refused to be erasedBy changing names all the time are we erasing an undeniable part of our pasthistoryThe names of our cities are not mere labels but reflectors of our glorious past They echo the stories of our ancestors their wisdom and their contributions to the world It is essential that we honour this heritage with selfrespect and selfesteem rather than glorifying those who came as conquerors Invaders cannot write our history and our legacy is not defined by the histories of our invadersWho invaded Delhi specifically and do we really need this name changeWhy was the name of Bombay changed to Mumbai Because of Mumbadevi Why did Madras become Chennai Why did Trivandrum become Thiruvananthapuram There are other examples To move forward we must reconnect with the roots By doing so we not only honour our past but also empower our present and futureThere are accusations that demands for name changes are mere distractions taking away from real issues like tackling crime price rise infrastructure and so many problems even geopolitical issueshellipThey are not distractions Infrastructure and development are moving along with our resolve to hold on to our identity we do not want to become apologetic about it We have authorities to look after law and order and other issues even globally and we have our government leaders reaffirming Indiarsquos growing stature in the world We have our own heroes and need to celebrate them and acknowledge our spiritual depth Let us not get swayed by leftwing narratives I reiterate demands for name change are not distractions but work too