Gurgaon renamed as ‘Gurugram’

 

The decision will be placed before the Haryana cabinet before it is sent to the Centre. (Express Photo: Manoj Kumar)

The Haryana Government on Tuesday decided to rename Gurgaon as Gurugram and its neighbouing district Mewat as Nuh.

Announcing the decision, an official spokesman said the decision to change the name of Gurgaon had been taken on the basis of the representations received at several forums.

He said Haryana was a historic land mentioned in the Bhagwat Gita and Gurgaon had been a great centre of learning, where Guru Dronacharya used to provide education to the Pandavas and Kauras.

The town derived its name from Guru Dronacharya; the village was given as “gurudakshina” to him by his students, the Pandavas, and hence it came to be known as Gurugram.

This name in course of time got distorted to Gurgaon. Therefore, the people of the area had been long demanding that Gurgaon be renamed as Gurugram.

The spokesperson said that Mewat, in fact is a geographical and cultural unit and not a town. It is spread beyond Haryana in the adjoining States of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. The headquarters of Mewat district is at Nuh town. The people of the area and the elected representatives had been demanding the name change of Mewat to Nuh. He said Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has approved the proposal to change the names.

However, the proposal would now be forwarded to the Government of India for its approval and come into force only after a Gazette Notification.

A committee of councillors had also sent a proposal to the government in this regard.

The renaming, however, evoked mixed reactions. While Deputy Commissioner T.L. Satyaprakash said it would not hamper the administrative work, some felt that it would entail unwarranted expenses and the city had already made a place for itself in the global map as Gurgaon.

Reactions

Aam Aadmi Party, Haryana spokesperson, R.S. Rathee said the government should concentrate on improving the infrastructure in the city and tackling the problems of water scarcity, unemployment and lack of connectivity instead of resorting to such cosmetic measures. “What is the government going to achieve with name change?,” he asked.

“As the state government decides to change the city’s name, they should also look ahead at changing the road mobility situation, the waste management and the situation of diminishing forest cover. What is urgently required in Gurgaon or Gurugram is to bring radical changes in the development of this city,” said Embarq India manager (cities and transport) Sarika Panda Bhatt, also the force behind the “Car Free Day”.

Welcoming the move, however, Gurgaon Mayor Vimal Yadav said that he was working along with other councillors on the idea of erecting a statue of Guru Dronacharya at an important intersection in the city. Not only this, after the approval of the State government to change the name, we are also thinking of having Guru Dronacharya’s pictures displayed at all the city entrances, said Mr. Yadav, adding that the renaming would draw the people of Gurgaon closer to its rich cultural heritage.

“It won't hamper the administrative work in any manner. We are slated to get a new stationery in the next few months so it won't make much difference to us. Also it is up to the people as to how they react to the name change,” said Deputy Commissioner T.L. Satyaprakash.

Vivek Kundu, a MBA student of Gurgaon Institute of Technology and Management, said: “It is an unwarranted and unpopular move. Connaught Place was also renamed as Rajiv Chowk. But people still know the place as Connaught Place only. It is a popular name. I believe Gurgaon will also continue to be known as such as people are not going to accept the new name. It sounds old-fashioned and is such a tongue-twister.” 

Gurgaon district to be renamed Gurugram, Mewat as Nuh: Haryana government

Known around the world for its MNCs, such as Microsoft, TCS, Wipro, golf courses and gated colonies that dot the cityscape, Gurgaon is set to get a new name — Gurugram. Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar announced the decision Tuesday along with that of Mewat, which will be called Nuh.

Though Khattar has given in-principle approval for the changes, the decision will now be placed before the Haryana cabinet before it is sent to the union government.

Gurgaon’s name change stems from a proposal by the municipal corporation in 2012. A committee had been formed to address the issue.

“In the past two years, after various meetings of the House, the resolution to change the name was passed thrice. This is a positive step and will only draw all of us closer to the rich heritage Gurgaon once had — which we all have forgotten about as a result of urbanisation,” said Gurgaon Mayor Vimal Yadav, who was part of the committee that recommended the name change to the CM.
The mayor, along with other councillors, has also been working on the idea to erect a statue of Guru Dronacharya at an important landmark in the city.

According to a corporation committee member, Gurgaon is said to have been the ancestral village of Guru Dronacharya, who in the Mahabharata instructed the Pandavas and Kauravas. “Most of us feel the city should be renamed Gurugram to emphasise the fact that this is where Guru Dronacharya used to live. Not many people are aware of it and there is nothing wrong in renaming it,” said the member.

According to officials, the change of name will not make much difference in corporation records. “Corporation officials will be asked to change the name from Gurgaon to Gurugram in all revenue and registry records. All the records are available online and the entire process of changing the name will take about three months,” said Yadav.

However, a section of corporates in Gurgaon feel otherwise. Some expressed concern about the effect the change will have on Gurgaon’s “brand image” and, consequently, its ability to attract investments.

“This won’t affect the working of companies per se, but, in my personal opinion, the name can have a negative impact from a brand perspective. If you’re trying to attract talent and investment, the name won’t do much, it sounds almost medieval.”

The business leader of an MNC, with country headquarters in Gurgaon, also said the renaming was a confusing move. “Precious funds will end up getting directed to purely administrative or symbolic changes, whereas some very real-life needs in infrastructure and human development will continue to go remain undeveloped for want of funds,” he said.

Official said the name Gurgaon is a corruption of Guru Gram, ie, village of a spiritual leader.
Umesh Aggarwal, the BJP MLA from Gurgaon, said, “The demand to change the name to Gurugram has been on for the past 12 to14 years. This place never was Gurgaon. It always was Guru Gaon — village of the Guru. People distorted the name. Guru Dronacharya’s ashram was here — where Kauravas and Pandavas gained their gurukul. Mata Sheetla was his wife. We have a temple in her name in old Gurgaon.”