India’s International relations have received applause worldwide, perhaps the only applause that cost Indians ₹1,273 crores. A week ago, 24 January, 2021, was one such day, an opportunity to write history again.
Sometimes, I wonder how every day India faces turmoil not from a faraway country rather from its neighbouring country but still manages to survive rather thrive.
“China has apparently built a village in Arunachal Pradesh.” You must be imagining leading officers in the Ministry of External Affairs running with documents in chic suits, discussing on cell phones, typing formal letters on laptops, etc.
India has always given a befitting reply to acts of encroachment within the national territory. “Dragon fruit will now be called Kamalam.”
The idea of renaming, or rather say Sanskritisation, of our sacred fruit irks secular minds. Since dragon fruit represents purity and has been used for mystic practices of Hinduism, its name should represent self-reliant India.
What makes them think that the improvisation of Hinduism, connecting names, makes India more self-reliant? Kamalam is one such example, but the government have burdened us with many such examples.
- Allahabad is now Prayagraj.
- Mughalsarai Junction railway station in the state was renamed Deen Dayal Upadhyay Junction railway station.
- Renaming Agra, the city of the 17th-century Taj Mahal, is more curious.
- Aiming to change the name of Muzaffarnagar to Laxmi Nagar.
Only our incumbent government can scoop this innovative idea to tackle poverty, unemployment, etc. Under Atma Nirbhar Bharat, altering the name to Kamalam seems to be one of the best attempts of promotion since it looks like Lotus, which is the party symbol of BJP. Moreover, Kamalam is also the name of the BJP headquarters in Koba in Gandhinagar.
They took the decisive action of renaming it Kamalam. Other fruits must be envying dragon fruit such as chukandar or kachra. These names must have altered names instead. If the mere presence of a dragon makes dragon fruit a Chinese fruit, then what should China do with Sitafal?
Renaming Dragon fruit can be traced to the imperative act of nationalisation of a fruit that would show the world that India is self-reliant even in names. But I have a better suggestion, can’t we name it Rakhtphool?
Obviously, it looks like a fireball that is pinkish-reddish and has spikes all over in an upward direction. A cue from the popular Indian tale Mowgli would strengthen the roots of self-reliance. We should not be surprised if India faces international litigations since Dragon fruit is not a species native to India. Any change in its nomenclature is beyond our legal territory.
But if I go by the government procedure, someone must have proposed, a debate would have followed, voting took place and commencement announced. I wonder which is worse, a proposal by the government or acceptance by people.