New Delhi: The government directed that the three islands in Andaman and Nicobar -Ross Island, Neil Island and Havelock Island to be renamed.  Earlier in March, a demand was made in the Rajya Sabha 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.

News agency ANI reported that Ross Island as Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Island, Neil Island as Shahid Dweep and Havelock Island as Swaraj Dweep.

In March, BJP member L A Ganesan had 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. 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.