NEW DELHI: A demand was made in the Rajya Sabha today to change the name of Havelock island in the Andamans with a BJP member saying that naming a place after a person who had fought Indian patriots in 1857 was a matter of shame.
BJP member L A Ganesan raised the matter during the Zero Hour saying that Havelock had fought against Indians during 1857 revolt led by leaders like Rani Laxmibai of Jhansi. He said there was a statue of him in the Trafalgar Square in London for his role in crushing the forces of Indian patriots.
Ganesan questioned that over 60 years after Independence, there is still an island named after such a person. "Can there be a greater insult than this to our patriots," Ganesan asked. He also said that Andaman islands is a place where people like Veer Savarkar had been jailed.
After Ganesan raised questions about an island being named after an East India Company's General, Deputy Chairman P J Kurien said it was a good suggestion which the government should examine.