Kavitha Pushes For ‘Azad Hind’ Name For Islands

Telangana Jagruthi chief cites Netaji’s legacy, calls move more than symbolic

January 23, 2026: Former MP and Telangana Jagruthi President K Kavitha has urged the Centre to rename the Andaman and Nicobar Islands as ‘Azad Hind’, saying the move would honour the historic legacy of the Provisional Government of Azad Hind. She noted that in 1943, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose had declared the islands the first Indian territory liberated from British colonial rule, making them a powerful symbol of India’s freedom movement.

In a letter to the Prime Minister’s Office, Kavitha pointed out that although several islands such as Ross, Neil and Havelock were renamed in 2018, the archipelago as a whole still carries a colonial-era name. She called on the Union government to begin the necessary constitutional and administrative processes, arguing that renaming the entire Union Territory would align India’s geography with Netaji’s vision of a nation free from colonial legacies.

Speaking to NDTV, Kavitha said the name ‘Azad Hind’ is not merely symbolic but a reminder of the first assertion of Indian sovereignty under Netaji’s leadership. She added that the renaming would serve as a fitting tribute to the Azad Hind Fauj and act as an enduring inspiration for India’s youth, keeping alive the memory of sacrifices made during the freedom struggle.