Shocking News! Fort William In Kolkata Renamed Vijay Durg

Hey there, friend! Let’s talk about a big change happening at a famous military site in India. Fort William, the headquarters of the Indian Army's Eastern Command, has a new name now—Vijay Durg. This change was decided in December 2023, and although the formal announcement is still pending, everyone inside the ministry is already using the new name.

Fort William In Kolkata Renamed Vijay Durg

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First, Wing Commander Himanshu Tiwari, the chief public relations officer at the Ministry of Defence in Kolkata, told the Times of India about this change. He explained that the order came in the second week of December. In their internal communication, they have already stopped using the old name, Fort William.

Next, there are more exciting changes inside the fort. For example, Kitchener House is now called Manekshaw House. Moreover, the South Gate, which was once known as St George's Gate, has been renamed Shivaji Gate. These changes show a strong connection to India’s rich history and pride.

Let’s take a quick look back in time. The current Fort William covers over 177 acres and replaced an older fort that was captured by Siraj-ud-Daula's troops in 1757. The British then began building a new fort in 1758 and finished the first phase in 1781. They built strong walls and a moat to protect the fort. The fort even had eight gates, three of which looked towards the River Hooghly, while the others faced open land. Today, that open land is known as the Kolkata Maidan.

Now, you might wonder why the name changed from Fort William to Vijay Durg. Well, the original Fort William was named after King William III of England. The new name, Vijay Durg, honors a historic fort on Maharashtra’s Sindhudurg coast. This fort was once a powerful naval base for the Marathas during the time of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. By choosing this new name, India is celebrating its own military heritage rather than holding on to colonial history.

In addition, this renaming is part of a larger effort by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government to replace colonial names with ones that reflect India’s true history. Recently, we have seen similar changes, such as renaming Rajpath to Kartavya Path and updating names of landmarks in the Andaman Islands. These changes aim to bring our heritage and traditions to the forefront.

While some people praise this move as a bold step in celebrating India's identity, history, and pride, others are unhappy, calling it completely unnecessary and baseless. What do you think about this historic shift?