Rename Rupnagar to Sri Anandpur

Hoshiarpur/ Daljeet Ajnoha/Nov.05 : The Youth Citizen Council Punjab has voiced strong opposition to the state government’s decision to reduce the size of Hoshiarpur district for the creation of a new district named Sri Anandpur Sahib by incorporating Garhshankar tehsil.Council State President Dr. Raman Ghai said that the establishment of Sri Anandpur Sahib as a separate district is indeed a commendable initiative that would be welcomed across the state, the nation, and even internationally. However, he expressed disappointment that the government’s mismanagement of the issue has forced residents of Hoshiarpur to take to the path of protests.Dr. Ghai proposed that the Punjab government rename Rupnagar district as Sri Anandpur Sahib instead of dividing Hoshiarpur, emphasizing that Sri Anandpur Sahib is already an established tehsil within Rupnagar. Such a renaming, he noted, would attract widespread appreciation and preserve the integrity of existing districts.Drawing parallels with Uttar Pradesh, Dr. Ghai pointed out that Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s decision to rename Faizabad district as Ayodhya honored the site’s historical heritage—a model several other states have since followed to restore cultural identities through renaming initiatives.Highlighting the cultural and religious significance of the region, Dr. Ghai mentioned Khuralgarh in Garhshankar, a sacred site sanctified by the visit of Guru Ravidass Ji Maharaj, as a symbol of Hoshiarpur’s spiritual importance.The Youth Citizen Council Punjab, along with the District Bar Association, has pledged full support to the ongoing campaign to safeguard the territorial integrity of Hoshiarpur. Dr. Ghai urged Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann to ensure that the formation of the new Sri Anandpur Sahib district takes place without removing any part of Hoshiarpur. Instead, he said, renaming Rupnagar as Sri Anandpur Sahib would respect the sentiments of Hoshiarpur’s people while preserving the district’s historical pride and identity.