Context:
Recently, Fort William in Kolkata, the headquarters of the Eastern Army Command, was renamed Vijay Durg as part of efforts to remove colonial influences from the armed forces. However, the official announcement is still pending.
- The new name, Vijay Durg, is inspired by the oldest fort on the Sindhudurg coast in Maharashtra, which served as a naval base for the Marathas under Chhatrapati Shivaji.
- The Kitchener House is now Manekshaw House and St. George’s Gate has been renamed Shivaji Gate.
- In recent years, a series of measures have been implemented to eliminate remnants of colonial influence and “Indianise” military traditions and customs.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi has described this initiative as a move toward achieving “freedom from the mentality of slavery” (Gulami ki Mansikta Se Mukti).
- Fort William was built in 1781 during the early years of British rule in Bengal and named after King William III of England.
- It sits on the eastern banks of the River Hooghly, a major distributary of the Ganga and one of Kolkata’s lasting British-era fortifications, covering 70 hectares.