Demand to rename Pune "Phule Nagar" raised again, memorandum given to CM Fadnavis

The demand to rename Pune "Phule Nagar" has been raised once again. It has been made by the National OBC Mukti Morcha, also called the Rashtriya OBC Mukti Morcha. The organisation wants the city named after social reformer Mahatma Jotirao Phule. It has asked Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to move the proposal forward before Phule's 200th birth anniversary, that is, before 2027.

Office-bearers of the organisation recently met Fadnavis in Nagpur. They gave the Chief Minister a memorandum and a letter listing their demands. They have asked the state government to pass a resolution supporting the renaming. They also want Phule to be posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna, the country's highest civilian honour, and want the state government to take up the matter with the Centre.

The organisation says Pune was Phule's karmabhoomi, the place where he did his work. It says renaming the city would be a fitting tribute to his contribution to education, social equality and reform, especially as the country nears the completion of 200 years since his birth.

Pune was a major centre of Phule's work. He and his wife Savitribai Phule began pioneering work in girls' education in the city in 1848. The two played a major part in taking education to women and to communities that faced social discrimination. In 1873, Phule founded the Satyashodhak Samaj to promote social equality and challenge caste-based discrimination.

The memorandum carries several other proposals linked to the bicentenary. These include a one-day special session of the Maharashtra legislature on Phule's work. It also demands special general bodies be convened in local self-government institutions across the state on his birth anniversary, April 11, 2027. It proposes a new "Satyashodhak Bhushan" award for progressive organisations and individuals working for social awareness and reform. The organisation has also demanded that universities in Maharashtra start Mahatma Phule study courses or academic initiatives.

This is not the first time a new name has been suggested for Pune. The Sambhaji Brigade and some other voices have earlier suggested "Jijapur" or "Jijau Nagar". Sujat Ambedkar's name has been linked to a demand to rename the city "Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar". There has also been a separate debate over the name of Pune railway station, but the proposal on the station's name is distinct from the demand to rename the whole city.

There has been no response so far from the Chief Minister's Office on the demand.