Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has announced that Karimganj district will be renamed as ‘Sribhumi’. The decision has been taken to honour Rabindranath Tagore and to fulfil the long-standing demand of the public.
Key Points
Reason for renaming
- Rabindranath Tagore had called Karimganj as ‘Sribhumi’ i.e. ‘land of Mother Lakshmi’.
- The move was taken to honour this historical reference.
Assam Cabinet decision
- The state cabinet took the decision on public demand.
- The Chief Minister called it an important step towards strengthening the cultural identity of the state.
Cultural significance
- The renaming will commemorate the legacy of Rabindranath Tagore.
- It is an attempt to reflect the glorious history of the region.
Freeing the nation from colonial imprints
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi aims to free India from colonial thinking, and enhance India’s pride and prestige. With this view, he has changed the names of many places and institutions in the last few years.
Recent name changes
- Port Blair to Sri Vijayapuram: The central government renamed Port Blair, the capital of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, to Sri Vijayapuram.
Announcement
- In September, Home Minister Amit Shah described it as in line with the Prime Minister’s vision of “freeing the nation from colonial imprints”.
Objectives
- To revive India’s culture and history.
- To distance oneself from colonial nomenclature and strengthen India’s identity.
Assam: Major state of Northeast India
- Assam is located in the north-eastern part of India. The state is famous for its natural beauty, biodiversity and cultural heritage.
Key features
Area and population
- The area of Assam is 78,438 square kilometers.
- It is the second largest state in Northeast India by area and the largest by population.
- More than 31 million people live here.
Geographical location
- Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh to the north,
- Nagaland and Manipur to the east,
- Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram and Bangladesh to the south,
- West Bengal to the west (via the Siliguri Corridor).
Capital and major cities
- The capital of Assam is Dispur.
- The largest city is Guwahati.
Languages
- Official languages: Assamese and Bodo.
- Bengali and Manipuri (Meitei) are also official languages in Barak Valley and Hojai district.
Natural heritage
National parks
- Kaziranga National Park and Manas National Park: World Heritage Sites.
- Dibru–Saikhowa National Park: Famous for its wild horses.
Biodiversity
- Home to one-horned rhinoceros, wild buffalo, tiger, Asian elephant, and various bird species.