Kavitha urges PM to rename Andaman and Nicobar Islands as Azad Hind on Parakram Diwas
HYDERABAD: On the occasion of the 129th birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, observed nationwide as Parakram Diwas, former MP and Telangana Jagruthi president K Kavitha said she has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking the renaming of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands as Azad Hind.
Telangana Jagruthi is a cultural and social organisation focused on preserving heritage, promoting cultural renaissance and supporting sustainable development in Telangana.
In her letter to the Prime Minister’s Office, Kavitha said the proposal was intended to honour the historical legacy of the Provisional Government of Azad Hind, which in 1943 declared the Andaman and Nicobar Islands the first Indian territory liberated from British colonial rule.
Kavitha pointed out that while individual islands such as Ross, Neil and Havelock were renamed in 2018, the collective archipelago continues to carry a name rooted in the colonial period. She urged the Union government to initiate the required constitutional and administrative processes to effect the change.
Supporters of the move argue that the name Azad Hind is not merely symbolic, but reflects the assertion of sovereignty under Netaji’s leadership.
భారత స్వాతంత్ర్య సమరయోధుడు, ఆజాద్ హింద్ ఫౌజ్ వ్యవస్థాపకులు నేతాజీ సుభాష్ చంద్రబోస్ గారి 129వ జయంతి సందర్భంగా జాగృతి కేంద్ర కార్యాలయంలో జరిగిన వేడుకల్లో పాల్గొని నివాళులర్పించిన జాగృతి అధ్యక్షురాలు శ్రీమతి కల్వకుంట్ల కవిత గారు మరియు ఆల్ ఇండియా ఫార్వర్డ్ బ్లాక్ నేతలు pic.twitter.com/EVS9CSMs8B
— Telangana Jagruthi (@TJagruthi) January 23, 2026
Speaking to the media, Kavitha said, “Today is the 129th birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. He was the one who went out of the country and, with his diplomacy skills, requested Japan for support. By force, he took away the entire Andaman and Nicobar from the British.”
“He named it Azad Hind and there he flew our national flag much before 1947. It is a national memory. It should have been honoured long back, but it has not been done,” she said.
Referring to past renaming exercises, she added, “The BJP has changed many names; I wouldn’t agree with all of them, but Netaji is such a personality. Andaman and Nicobar is a name given by the British and not us. So Azad Hind must be the name.”
Kavitha said renaming the entire Union Territory would serve as a fitting tribute to the Azad Hind Fauj and act as a lasting reminder for the youth of India about the sacrifices made during the freedom struggle.
