Surat, Aug 15 (IANS) On Independence Day, the locality long known as ‘Pakistan Mohalla’ in Ramnagar in Gujarat has been officially renamed ‘Hindustani Mohalla’.

The new signboard was unveiled by BJP Surat West MLA Purnesh Modi in the presence of local residents. ‘Pakistan Mohalla’ was the informal name given to a part of Ramnagar in Surat’s Rander area, a locality that emerged in the aftermath of India’s Partition in 1947.

During that time, a large number of Sindhi Hindu refugees migrated from Sindh (now in Pakistan) to India, with many settling in Surat. The Ramnagar colony, comprising roughly 600 houses, became one such settlement.

Over the years, one section of this colony began to be colloquially referred to as ‘Pakistan Mohalla’ – a name that, despite its origins in migration history, carried political and emotional sensitivities.

While the name persisted for decades, attempts were made in the past to give the area a different identity. One such effort was the renaming of an internal junction as Hemu Kalani Chowk, in honour of the Sindhi freedom fighter.

However, these changes failed to gain universal acceptance. MLA Modi said the renaming marks a fresh identity for the neighbourhood and urged residents to update their official records accordingly.

Special assistance will be provided to change the name in Aadhaar cards, voter IDs, ration cards, and other documents still reflecting the old name.

To facilitate this, Aadhaar update camps will be held on August 17 and August 24, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., at the Seva Setu-Loan Mela programme at Navyug College Campus on Rander Road.

Local residents have welcomed the move, seeing it as a step towards a renewed sense of belonging and unity.

Meanwhile, Surat, often called the “Gateway to the West,” holds immense historical significance as one of India’s oldest and most prosperous port cities.

Flourishing under the Mughals in the 16th and 17th centuries, it became a key hub for trade in silk, cotton, and spices, attracting merchants from Europe, Arabia, Africa, and Southeast Asia.

The British and Dutch East India Companies established their first Indian trading factories here, making Surat a vital link in global commerce.

–IANS

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