By Muslim Mirror Desk,
Historian Irfan Habib on Sunday responded to the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) name changing spree and said that the party should change names of their members first. Referring to the party president Amit Shah’s name, Habib pointed out that Shah itself is a Persian name and is not derived from Sanskrit.
The 87-year-old Aligarh Muslim University professor emeritus added, “Even the term Gujarat itself is of Persian origin. It was called Gurjaratra earlier. They should also change it.”
Habib said that if the BJP is changing the names of cities, they should first start with their own names, news agency ANI reported, adding, “The BJP governments’ renaming spree is very much in line with the RSS’s Hindutva policy. Just like the neighbouring country Pakistan where everything that is not Islamic has been removed, BJP and right-wing supporters want to change things which are non-Hindu, particularly of Islamic origin.”
Reacting to the proposal to rename Agra, Habib said, “The entire history of Maharaja Agrasen is mythical. It’s nothing but fiction. Secondly, the Agrawal community claims its origin from Agroha in Haryana, and not Agra. So, both the arguments for renaming the city do not hold water.”
“We first hear the term ‘Agra’ during the reign of Sikandar Lodhi in the 15th century but before that, the area was more prominently known as Doab – land between Ganga and Yamuna,” the historian said.
Earlier on Saturday, UP Minister Om Prakash Rajbhar had given a similar remark stating that the BJP should first change the names of their Muslim leaders before changing the names of cities.
Rajbhar’s comment comes after Yogi Adityanath changed names of a few towns in Uttar Pradesh. Adityanath had changed the name of Mughalsarai Railway Station to Deen Dayal Upadhyay Junction.Allahabad’s name was changed to Prayagraj while Faizabad’s name was changed to Ayodhya.
(ANI inputs)
Well said Sir!
Now because of these Vedic names—Deendayal Junction, Ayodhya and Prayagraj have literally become “London” and “Paris”, due to the progress, amenities to local citizens, free hospitals, just Policing, security , no corruption and absolute law and order and protection of human and minority rights!
One more step towards Dictators–rajya!
Now everyone forgets Rafaele dalali, 3000 crores on Patelji ka putla, so many mob- lynchings, slapping and hitting police officers by BJP mps, etc etc.
And, Habib Sahib, you should change your country and move to your Pakistan.
Why do you live in country which considers you a pest and where even your coming generations will not trusted and will be asked and some day, Inshah Allah, firmly told to move to Pakistan.
This particular comment from this so-called eminent historian clearly proves his Himalayan ignorance. Is the surname ‘Shah’ related to Persia?