The government is considering a proposal to change the hill destination's name to Shyamala.
In the long list of renamed Indian cities, 'queen of hills' Shimla could be the latest entrant as the ruling government is considering a proposal to change its name to Shyamala. A campaign has been launched by some groups demanding that the capital of Himachal Pradesh be renamed.
BJP leader and state health minister Vipin Singh Parmar said many cities in different parts of the country used to have historic names but they were changed so there would not be any harm in reverting to them. "If the people want Shimla to be rechristened as Shyamala, the proposal can be considered," Mr Parmar told news agency PTI.
Notably, the social media has been abuzz with discussions on the topic for the last few days.
The debate has left people divided with some favouring the name change and others opposing it.
Senior Himachal Pradesh Congress leader Harbhajan Singh Bhajji questioned the intention of those who want Shimla to be renamed. "What is the justification (for changing Shimla's name)," he asked while vehemently opposing the proposal.
"This is a historical city and if you change its name, it will lose its character," Mr Bhajji argued.
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