Asad Shaikh, TwoCircles.net
New Delhi: The discussion about changing names, which began before the Delhi Assembly elections, has now reached the floor of the assembly. Mohan Singh Bisht, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA from North-East Delhi’s Mustafabad, had suggested changing the name of his constituency. Taking a cue from him, now Neelam Pahalwan, the MLA from Najafgarh, and Anil Sharma, the MLA from RK Puram, have also raised demands to rename their respective constituencies.
Name changes are not new in the country – from Mughal Garden, Allahabad, Mughal Sarai to several other places, many names have been changed under the BJP government. The saffron party leaders keep on raising the demands quite often.
However, now this debate has reached the heart of the national capital, Delhi. When the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was in power in the capital, this demand had not surfaced. But with the BJP now in power, the call for renaming places has resurfaced.
The discussion on name changes reached the Delhi Assembly on February 27. It is not just a local issue in the city but is now a national conversation. Why is there a push for renaming? Did the Mughals really change names? And should these names be changed? Let’s try to understand the full story.
Najafgarh: A Name That Has Been Stigmatised?
Pahalwan, the BJP’s legislator from the constituency, argues that “Najafgarh should be renamed Nahar Garh, as it was changed by the Mughals”. Situated on the Delhi-Haryana border, the area was a center of rebellion against the British in during the 1857 revolt.
The urban Hindus and Muslims fought together against the British, although the British emerged victorious. The battle here is also known as the Battle of Najafgarh. The area was named after Mughal Commander Najaf Khan, who arrived in Delhi in 1735 when the British were trying to seize the throne. He had also fought the British in the battles of Murshidabad and Buxar in 1764.
Najafgarh is also home to a fort built by Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II to protect the city’s residents from British, Rohilla Pathan and Sikh attacks.
The demand to rename the area after the Jat royal family’s heir, Nahar Singh, is being pushed by MLA Pahalwan. Nahar Singh had allied with the last Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar during the 1857 rebellion to fight the British. But Pahalwan’s statement brings attention to a historical conflict between “Jat and Muslim” rulers, a war fought for land, territory and power, notably the 1773 battle between Najaf Khan and the Jat king of Deeg.
Najafgarh is a Jat-dominated constituency, and surrounding areas are primarily inhabited by the community.
RK Puram’s Mohammadpur
In the southern part of Delhi, the village in RK Puram constituency, known as Mohammadpur, has been at the center of a renaming debate for the last four years. A discussion about changing the name of Mohammadpur was even held in an MCD meeting in 2021.
This Jat-dominated village has a population of about 7,000 and houses a three-burji dome from the Lodhi era. However, part of it has been encroached upon by local builders and is in a dilapidated condition.
MLA Anil Sharma says, “The locals want Mohammadpur to be changed with Madhavpuram, and it is long overdue. Local residents have been advocating for this change for years.”
Did the Mughals Really Change City Names?
Several cities and areas across India were established or renamed by the Mughals, such as Tughlaqabad (Delhi), Firozabad, Shahjahanabad and Allahabad. However, it is not entirely accurate to say the Mughal emperors were solely responsible for changing names.
Historian Rana Safvi says, “In the past, most village names were derived from local nobles. For instance, Mohammad Khan from the Lodhi period might have had a village named after him. Similar cases can be found in Munirpur and Wazirpur, which were named after Munir Khan and Wazir Khan.”
Asif Khan Dehlavi, the founder of Delhi Caravan and a historian, adds, “Every era has seen forceful impositions, but history itself cannot be changed. Now, once again, there is talk of renaming several areas and villages in Delhi. This is nothing but an attempt to harm India’s pluralistic culture.”
Former BJP MP and current New Delhi MLA Pravesh Verma, who defeated AAP Convener and E-Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, seconded the MLAs, stating, “The demand to change the name of Najafgarh is justified and it is not new.”
What is the AAP’s Position?
The Opposition party’s national spokesperson Adil Ahmed Khan, says, “The BJP is in power at the Center, and now in Delhi as well. They have a lot of power, but instead of fulfilling their promises to Delhi’s citizens, they want to focus on renaming localities. The BJP must fulfill its promises to the people of Delhi instead of misleading them with name changes.”
The Story Isn’t Over Yet…
While BJP MLAs have only mentioned three names, the party is reportedly preparing to rename nearly 40 places. Previously, places in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh have already undergone renaming.
How many more names will be changed in Delhi, the nation’s capital, often considered the mirror of the country? Only time will tell, but these actions will undoubtedly be recorded in history.