DALHOUSIE: The issue of renaming of hill resort
Dalhousie
, Himachal Pradesh after the name of
Netaji Subash Chandra Bose
has once again surfaced after state development and panchayati raj minister Virender Kanwar raised the issue.
However, the majority of the hoteliers are of the view that the name is the identity of the hill town which attracts the tourists besides its pleasant climate.
Varinder who was elected MLA from Kutlehar assembly consecutively for the fourth time in 2017 said he would be writing to chief minister
Jai Ram Thakur in this regard.
“Netaji is more popular than Dalhousie and people of Dalhousie will feel proud with their resort town renamed after Neta Ji which will also lead to growth in tourism,“ he said.
Due to the pleasant and refreshing climate, the British rulers decided to develop the place as a retreat for British officers.
The then ruler of Chamba Maharaja Sri Singh allowed Britishers to develop a settlement which was later named after the then British governor-general Lord Dalhousie in 1854.
A prominent hotelier of Dalhousie Ashish Chadha said, "leave alone the hoteliers but even local residents wouldn’t allow renaming of Dalhousie. There is a history attached with the name of the city which attracts national and international tourists".
"Even in past, the same demand had erupted but people joined hands across the party line and those demanding to change the name had to relent," he added.
Netaji had a deep connection with Dalhousie since he had stayed here for about seven months after he was released by the British government on parole in 1937 due to his deteriorating health and he had come to Dalhousie for convalescing. There is a life-size statue of Neta Ji installed at Subhash Chowk and the stepwell from where he used to drink water is a famous tourist place known as Subhash Baoli.
“No, we are not in favour of changing the name of Dalhousie, the name is the identity of the city which should remain as it is. If the government tried to change the name of the tourist town we would begin agitation and sit on ‘dharna’," Narinder Puri, president of the Federation of Hotels and Restaurants Association Dalhousie said
Minister Varinder questioned “Why to carry the legacy of British and not a patriot and a freedom fighter who is also a motivational force for the youth of the country.
I would soon write a letter to chief minister Jai Ram Thakur, he added.
Last year also the BJP leadership had raised the issue of renaming Dalhousie but had to face strong opposition from Congress MLA’s, including Asha Kumari.
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