SC dismisses plea seeking to restore 'original' names of ancient places
The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a PIL seeking a commission to restore the “original” names of ancient, cultural and religious places “renamed” by invaders, saying India can’t be a prisoner of the past.
Justices KM Joseph and BV Nagarathna questioned the motive of the PIL filed by lawyer Ashwini Upadhyay and said that it will only bring alive issues which will keep the country on boil.
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“This is a fact that our country was invaded and ruled by a foreign power. We cannot wish out selected part of our history,” the Bench said.
The court told Upadhyay that “our country is secular and Hinduism is a way of life, which has assimilated everyone and there is no bigotry in it”.
Future generations
The judges added that India’s history should not haunt its present and future generations.
Upadhyay had earlier this month filed the PIL seeking a direction to the Centre to set up a commission to restore the “original” names of ancient historical, cultural and religious places “renamed” by foreign invaders.
While Mughal Garden was recently renamed Amrit Udyan, the government did nothing to rename the roads named after invaders, the PIL said.
The PIL said alternatively, the court may direct the Archaeological Survey of India to research and publish the initial names of ancient historical and cultural religious places.
The PIL said: “We are celebrating the 75th anniversary of independence but there are many ancient historical cultural religious places in the name of brutal foreign invaders, their servants and family members.”
(With agency inputs)
