Lansdowne renaming row has intensified after a BJP MLA opposed the Centre’s move, warning it could affect tourism and the town’s global recognition. (File Photo)
The Centre’s directive to rename Lansdowne Cantonment has kicked up a row, with an MLA from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party opposing the move, saying it would “affect” tourism in the area.
The Lansdowne Cantonment Board had approved a proposal to rename the town following a directive from the Ministry. A source said the move was initiated by the PMO, which sought a change to remove the colonial legacy attached to the town. CEO of the Board, Harshit Raj Singh, told The Indian Express that the proposal had earlier been brought up and passed in 2023, but no decision followed. Earlier this month, he said, the board forwarded the proposal to the Ministry and is awaiting a decision. “We have sought feedback and objections from the public. We have received a few from informal quarters as well,” he added.
BJP MLA Dileep Rawat has written to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh seeking reconsideration of the move.
“It has come to my notice that a process is underway to change the name of the Lansdowne Cantonment Board located in Pauri Garhwal district of Uttarakhand, which is highly unfortunate. At present, the Lansdowne region is progressing in the tourism sector and is known globally as the tourist town of Lansdowne. This brings economic benefits to the local residents,” he said. Rawat further said that if the name of this tourist town is changed, it will severely impact the recognition and popularity of tourism in the area, which would not be in the interest of Uttarakhand. “Our region’s identity is associated with the name Lansdowne; therefore, no alteration should be made to it,” he said.
The Cantonment Board’s proposal is to rename the hill station as Jaswantgarh after Rifleman Jaswant Singh Rawat, Maha Vir Chakra, one of the heroes of the 1962 war with China. While his company had to withdraw under repeated Chinese assaults, the lone rifleman continued to man his post. Local folklore says he was aided by two local girls, one of whom was killed and the other taken captive. Rifleman Jaswant Singh managed to hold back successive Chinese attacks until he succumbed to his injuries.
The Lansdowne Cantonment, established in 1887, is spread over 1,503.83 acres, with a civilian population of 3,141 and 2,526 military personnel, as per the 2011 Census.
Henry Charles Keith Petty-Fitzmaurice, the fifth Marquess of Lansdowne, was a British politician who served as Viceroy of India from 1888 to 1894. On September 21, 1890, the forest region called Kalundanda (“black forest” in Garhwali) was renamed Lansdowne after the Viceroy. The town was developed by the British as a recruits’ training centre for the Garhwal Rifles.
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In 2023, when the proposal was moved, the Lansdowne Hotel Association had said it would move the High Court against it, arguing that a name change would impact tourism and the identity of the town. MLA Rawat had also expressed disagreement after the proposal was passed.
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