The political atmosphere in Raigad district of Maharashtra has once again heated up regarding the name of a gram panchayat. Gopicand Padalkar, a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has written to Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, demanding that the village of Chhatra Nizamnagar be renamed Raigad Wadi. This village is situated at the foot of the historic Raigad Fort, from where Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and his son Sambhaji Maharaj ruled. Padalkar argues that having the name of a ‘conqueror’ for a gram panchayat on this sacred Swarajya land is against the Maratha pride and the sentiments of the people.
Maratha history to be connected with the name Raigad Wadi
MLA Padalkar clarified that Raigad is not just a fort, but the soul of the Maratha empire, and it has no connection with a foreign ruler like Nizam. He questioned the association of Nizam with Raigad Fort. He further asked how and why the gram panchayat was named ‘Nizamnagar.’ He believes that changing the village's name to Raigad Wadi will not only give due respect to Maratha pride but also provide an opportunity for the younger generation to feel proud of their history.
He has appealed to the Chief Minister to seriously consider this demand and take a quick decision. Meanwhile, State Minister for Rural Development Yogesh Kadam has stated that if a formal proposal is received in this regard, the government will definitely consider it. This makes it clear that this is not just a matter of renaming, but an issue of restoring Maratha heritage and cultural identity.
Demand for renaming has been raised earlier as well
Earlier also, demands for renaming several places in Maharashtra have been raised. Social Justice Minister and Guardian Minister of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district, Sanjay Shirsat, recently demanded that Khultabad be renamed 'Ratnapur' and nearby Daulatabad be renamed 'Devgiri.' He had said that Khultabad, where the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb is buried, has become a disputed historical site, and it is necessary to restore its original identity.
Shirsat claimed that the original name of Khultabad was Ratnapur, which was changed during the Mughal rule. Similarly, Daulatabad also received a new name during the time of Aurangzeb. He had said that connecting the places with names ending with '-bad' to their original historical names is a necessary step in the direction of restoring the state's cultural heritage.
The confluence of culture and politics
The demands for renaming in the state are not just political rhetoric, but are connected to deep cultural and historical sentiments. BJP leaders are viewing it by connecting it with Maratha identity and heritage, while the government is also indicating that it will consider the issue seriously. It remains to be seen whether Chhatra Nizamnagar will indeed be transformed into Raigad Wadi and whether this series of name changes continues in Maharashtra.
