In recent news, Modi government has planned to rename three islands in Andaman and Nicobar- ‘Ross Island as Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Island’, ‘Neil Island as Shaheed Dweep’ and ‘Havelock Island as Swaraj Dweep’, as reported by ANI.
PM Narendra Modi, who is planned to visit Port Blair on December 30 to remember the 75th anniversary of Netaji Subash Chandra Bose’s historic visit to the islands, is expected to make the announcement of ‘name change’.
Previously in November, Netaji’s relative and West Bengal BJP vice-president Chandra Kumar Bose had written to PM Modi requesting that Andaman & Nicobar Islands be renamed to ‘Shaheed and Swaraj Islands’ as respect to Netaji.
In his letter, Chandra Kumar Bose said that Netaji “as the first Prime Minister of United Free India” had hoisted the National flag at Port Blair on December 30, 1943, thus setting up the Azad Hind government. He said that after this, Netaji had renamed Andaman & Nicobar Islands to Shaheed and Swaraj Islands.
In his letter on November 11, Kumar Bose writes, “By hoisting the National flag, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, as the head of the Azad Hind Government also fulfilled his promise and commitment that INA (Indian National Army) would stand on Indian soil by the end of 1943.”
“On December 29, 1943, Netaji accompanied by Sarvashri Anand Mohan Sahay, Captain Rawat-ADC and Col DS Raju, the personal physician of Netaji, landed at the Port Blair aerodrome in Andaman. The enthusiastic Indian residents accorded them a warm reception. Netaji appointed Indian National Army General AD Loganathan as the Governor of the Islands,” he writes in his letter to Modi.