By Japan K Pathak

Today is February 26. It is the death anniversary of one of greatest patriots, Veer Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. Many people in the city of Ahmedabad in Gujarat also are also marking Ahmedabad’s “birth anniversary” today, as Sultan Ahmedshah had established the city of Ahmedabad on this date some 610 years ago. Though the fact is, the city was here even before Ahmedshah. There was Ashaval here and there was Karnavati. There are sufficient evidences of existence of both in addition to Dadhichi Ashram’s presence in the city(there’s a major bridge over river Sabarmati which has been named as Dadhichi bridge in connection with Dadhichi ashram), and therefore this city is absolutely not just 610-year old, and neither in real sense today is the birthday of the city. Neither any association with Ahmedshah is worth remembering. With amendment in preamble of constitution during emergency period, late former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi has made this country ‘secular’ officially. And Ahmedshah was not secular. He had destroyed Siddhpur’s Rudra Mahalay Shiv temple, and there are number of other examples of his misdeeds, well documented in history.

Just before Gujarat was separated from then Mumbai state in May 1960, Veer Vinayak Savarkar had in February 1960 suggested to scratch the name Ahmedabad and rename it as Karnavati. In fact this was the heading of his note. Savarkar had in a same piece also suggested to change the name of Arabian Sea to Ratnakar or Sindhu Sagar( Late Gujarati author Chandrakant Bakshi had in his writings demanded that Arabian Sea should be renamed as the sea of Gujarat on the lines of the Bay of Bengal in the East).

Savarkar had in his February 1960 statement suggested to rename Ahmedabad, if it was going to be made capital of new Gujarat State. He had suggested that if a new capital created, it should be renamed as Vallabh Nagar (Gujarat has Vallabh Vidhya Nagar today near Anand established by Bhaikaka, the new capital was created at named as Gandhinagar long after Savarkar’s this statement).

Savarkar has in his piece mentioned centuries long “dreadful Moslem atrocities-, massacres, kidnappings, rapes, forcible religious conversions and enslavements of thousands of Hindu men and women”, descriptions of which are available in relevant authentic historical books in plenty.

So the demand of renaming of Ahmedabad was probably originally made by Veer Vinayak Savarkar. It was further amplified by Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Vishwa Hindu Parishad and prominently by Bharatiya Janata Party in the decades of 1980s and 1990s.

Look at the irony. One of staunch followers of Savarkar in today’s political context is union Home minister Amit Shah himself. You may have seen two photographs on the wall of his official bungalow in New Delhi for number of times. One photo frame has Chanakya’s image and the other has Savarkar’s image. And today, if the name of the city of Ahmedabad has to be changed, the powers of approving same are with his office of Ministry of Home Affairs. Shah’s party is ruling party in Amdavad Municipal Corporation (AMC), in the State of Gujarat and in the Centre. And therefore on the death anniversary of Savarkar and so-called birthday of Ahmedabad, it is opportune to reproduce Savarkar’s February 1960 piece on Karnavati. It is here in full text from the book ‘Historic Statements By Veer Savarkar’.

SCRATCH THE NAME AHMEDABAD AND RENAME IT AS KARNAVATI

4-2-1960

“On this historic occasion when Gujarat is soon going get a separate provincial self-Government after its liking, I exhort once again my Gujarati brethren to scratch the hateful name of Ahmedabad and re-name the city as “KARNAVATI” to reinstate the proud memory of Raja. Karna who had first built it up as his capital.

We cannot forget that the present name of the city as Ahmedabad had its origin in those cursed days when the Mohommedan forces led by Sultan Allah-Uddin and his lieutenants invaded that province, sacked and razed the Hindu capital of Karnavati, and Gujarat – groaning for centuries under dreadful Moslem atrocities-, massacres, kidnappings, rapes, forcible religious conversions and enslavements of thousands of Hindu men and women. Sultan Ahmed Shah, built a new capital deliberately on the site where the relics of Karnavati stood or there about and after his own name-called it Ahmedabad. It was also the capital of the infamous tyrant Mohammed Begda.

In as much – it is, but inevitable that if the name Ahmedabad continues as it is, all those hateful memories also cannot but continue to he associated with it.

Consequently, now that the day of our triumph has risen, it is our – duty to erase away the humiliating and hateful name from the map of Gujarat. Even if the city is to continue as the capital of the state, it should be renamed as “KARNAVATI”.

But if a new capital is to be created altogether at some other place it should be named “VALLABH-NAGAR” in memory of Shri Vallabhabhai Patel whose strong will and hand did so much to serve India.

We must also get rid of the disgraceful alien name the “Arabian Sea” which laving the coastline of Gujarat hears it at present. In as much as this coastline is sacred to every Hindu, as the capital of Lord Shri Krishna was situated then on it, it should be henceforth called either by the old puranik name “RATNAKAR” or by the more appropriate and up-to-date name “SINDHU-SAGAR” to
tally with the Ganga Sagar on the eastern coastline.”

( Dash ‘ – ‘ sign has been put in the text above, where the clear word mentioned couldn’t be read)

DeshGujarat