Why are government buildings, including colleges, being renamed in Indian-administered Kashmir?

BBC News 

December 21, 2021

government in Indian-administered Kashmir have ordered the renaming of dozens of colleges, faculties, roads and government homes.

On November 6, government diploma college, Kalam, placed in Kulgam district of South Kashmir, became renamed as Altaf Memorial government diploma university, Kalam.

Altaf Ahmad Dar turned into a police inspector in Kashmir who was killed in a suicide attack in North Kashmir in 2015. Altaf Ahmed turned into instrumental inside the combat against militancy in Kashmir.

He specializes in "on line surveillance" of militants and has led numerous a success operations.

Altaf Ahmed became additionally known here as 'Altaf laptop'. The death of Altaf Ahmed had dealt a first-rate blow to the Jammu and Kashmir Police.

The day the college turned into renamed, senior administration officers had been gift. Altaf Ahmed's family was also present inside the program.

similarly, a government diploma university in Shopian district has been named as 'Imtiaz Ahmed Thakur Memorial model degree college'.

Imtiaz Thakur turned into an Indian soldier and a part of the Elite Para Commando Squad. He changed into killed in 2010 in a clash with militants in north Kashmir. The conflict lasted for 15 hours in which an military captain turned into also killed.

In Shopian, renaming the university after a soldier is taken into consideration vital because the region has been a stronghold of militants for decades.

authorities orders alternate of name

last September, the Jammu and Kashmir management announced the formation of a committee and requested the committee to indicate renaming of colleges, colleges, roads and other authorities buildings.

In October, the administration ordered the renaming of 76 authorities faculties and other homes. even as most of these faculties and homes are in Jammu. alternatively, orders have been issued to exchange the names of 25 establishments in Kashmir Valley.

authorities buildings aren't constrained to the names of infantrymen and policemen, but many colleges and schools are named after writers, songwriters, and artists.

Names of writers and singers

The auditorium of presidency statistics branch in Srinagar has been renamed as Raj Begum Auditorium after the famous singer of Kashmir. Raj Begum is one of the ladies of Kashmir who took up singing career and eliminated the obstacles that prevented ladies from singing in Kashmir.

Raj Begum become additionally provided the Padma Shri, India's reputable honor. Raj Begum, popularly known as 'Melody Queen' of Kashmir, died in 2016.

The ladies's degree university at Batpura in Srinagar is also named after the famous Kashmir writer Akhtar Mohi-ud-Din. Akhtar Mohi-ud-Din turned into offered the Sahtia Academy Award in 1958 and turned into also offered the Padma Shri in 1968.

when Maqbool Butt of the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation the front was hanged in 1984, Mohi-ud-Din was one of the few artists who returned the Sahtia Academy Award in protest.

when the militancy erupted in Kashmir inside the 1990's, the realities of Kashmir started to emerge in Akhtar's writings. Akhtar had additionally again the Padma Shri award in protest towards the alleged atrocities of the security employees at the common human beings.

any other university in Srinagar is named after playwright Motilal Chemo. Motilal was a massive supporter of protection of folk theater in Kashmir.

"The government is not changing the name, it is keeping it," insisted Kashmir Zone Divisional Commissioner Kandurang K. Paul.

What does the government say?

The government of Indian-administered Kashmir believes that renaming roads and buildings can help children learn about the "true history" of Kashmir.

"There are many people in Kashmir who have done great things in their respective fields," Kashmir Zone Divisional Commissioner Kandurang K Paul told the BBC. Soldiers of our army have also got Param Vir Chakra or Ashoka Chakra. The work done by our forefathers has been praised. It needs to be placed in front of children, which is why the government has taken the initiative in naming it.

Paul insists that the government is not changing the name but keeping it."

Noor Ahmad Baba, a former professor of political science at the University of Kashmir, believes such efforts have been made before.

"You can't enforce names with sticks."

However, political analysts say that after the repeal of Article 370, which is the special status of Kashmir, it is being ruled from a nationalist point of view and changing its name is a part of it.

Noor Ahmad Baba, a former professor of political science at the University of Kashmir, believes that the central government is implementing nationalism in Kashmir at its own pace and according to its own agenda. Attempts are being made to weaken those who have feelings.

He says such efforts have been made before.

"We have seen in the past that the names given did not last long because they were not popular names," he said. People did not accept these names. You can't enforce names with sticks. "

He thinks that this work is done by the elected representatives but at present it is being done by the administration which is not a good thing for Kashmir.

Such attempts have been made in the past?

Many government buildings in Kashmir have already been named after political figures.The name of Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah, the first Prime Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, appears in many places in Srinagar. There is a hospital, a cricket stadium and a convention hall named after him.

Many names of Dogra Raj can be seen in Srinagar city. Pratap Park still exists in Srinagar's Lal Chowk and there is a large hospital in Srinagar named after Maharaja Hari Singh.

However, the 76 names that have been ordered to be changed do not include any political names.

Paul says that the process of naming will not end here, some other places may be considered for renaming in the coming days.

Reaction of political parties

The National Conference Party of Jammu and Kashmir says it is not primarily against the name change, but what is happening now is one-sided as well as a "deception".

Party spokesman Imran Nabi Dar said the government was doing all this to cover up its failure.

He said that this government sometimes calls PHEA as Jal Shakti and is wasting its time in all these things. "It's all just for the pictures. This government has the propaganda machinery that is being used.

But in Kashmir, the BJP has linked the name change to the loss of special status in the disputed region.BJP spokesperson Altaf Thakur said that local political parties in Kashmir had linked the names of their ancestors with government buildings here and it was said that they had done all the development work.

Thackeray says that now the names of those who sacrificed their lives for the country are being named and now those people have died.

Thackeray says names are now being given to those who sacrificed their lives for the country and now they are dead.

Elimination of Article 370

On August 5, 2019, Narendra Modi's government repealed Article 370 of the Constitution, removing the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and making administrative changes.

After the removal of Article 370, the flag of India was hoisted on government buildings here instead of Kashmir. At the same time, it was made mandatory to hold Independence Day programs in schools.

Many government orders enacted after the repeal of Article 370 have been criticized in the past.