Three islands in Andaman and Nicobar will be renamed by the Centre during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Port Blair on 30 December, reports said.
Ross Island, Neil Island and Havelock Island will be renamed as Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Island, Shaheed Dweep and Swaraj Dweep respectively.
The decision will be announced later this month.
Hindustan Times quoted a Home Ministry source as saying, “The government has decided to announce the change of name for the three islands -Havelock Island, Neil Island and Ross Island - as a tribute to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. It will be announced along with other plans for the islands during PM’s visit at the end of this month.”
Modi will be accompanied by Home Minister Rajnath Singh. He will hoist a 150-metre-high national flag at Port Blair to mark the 75th anniversary of freedom fighter Subhas Chandra Bose’s declaration of the formation of the Azad Hind government in 1943, according to NDTV.
Bose had hoisted the national flag on 30 December 1943 at the Gymkhana Ground (now Netaji Stadium) in Port Blair, according to Hindustan Times. Bose had also announced that the islands were the first Indian territory to be freed from British rule, the report added.
This was done at the time the islands were captured by the Japanese during World War II, reported The Economic Times. Bose had also suggested that Andaman and Nicobar Islands be renamed as Shahid and Swaraj dweep.