Bhadohi to be renamed as Sant Ravidas Nagar: UP CM Yogi Adityanath
Varanasi, July 29
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday announced that Bhadohi district will be renamed as Sant Ravidas Nagar.
In Varanasi, the Chief Minister, while addressing a public meeting, said, "The Samajwadi Party had committed the sin of even removing the name of the district established in the name of Sant Guru Ravidas Ji Maharaj. Now, Bhadohi will once again be known as Sant Ravidas Nagar."
Bhadohi is a city and district in Uttar Pradesh, India, famous globally as the Carpet City for housing South Asia's largest hand-knotted carpet-weaving industry hub. Also known as Sant Ravidas Nagar, it sits in the Ganga River plains between Varanasi (45 km east) and Prayagraj.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday said Etawah no longer evokes fear or terror, and its youth no longer face an identity crisis, attributing the change to the BJP government's zero-tolerance policy towards crime and criminals.
Addressing a public gathering in Etawah, the Chief Minister alleged that before 2017, the district had suffered from an identity crisis, with fear and insecurity discouraging people from travelling through the region and deterring investment."
Before 2017, who had created an identity crisis in front of Etawah? People who won from Etawah had created this crisis themselves. If there is an identity crisis in Etawah, then it will become Uttar Pradesh's crisis. People used to fear taking this route. There was so much fear and terror that rooms weren't available in the country's hotels just on the name of Etawah; in the name of investment, everything was absent. No one would even think of coming here," Yogi said.
He further credited the BJP government with taking a firm stand against crime and criminals after coming to power in 2017, saying the party had fulfilled its promise of adopting a zero-tolerance policy.
"Therefore, when in 2017, on the call of the Prime Minister, all of you allowed the BJP's lotus to bloom in your area, then the BJP had resolved that we would work under a zero-tolerance policy towards crime and criminals. The BJP has shown what it said by doing it. Those who had created the crisis, today an identity crisis has arisen right in front of them," he said.
The Chief Minister said the perception of Etawah had changed and its youth no longer faced an identity crisis while travelling to other parts of Uttar Pradesh or the country. He also announced 128 development projects worth Rs 604 crore for the residents of Etawah.
"Now, the name Etawah no longer evokes fear or terror anywhere. Now, the youth of Etawah do not face any crisis of identity. Wherever the youth of Etawah go in the state or the country, they receive the same respect that residents of other districts of Uttar Pradesh do."The state's double-engine government has freed them from the crisis of identity. I am pleased to inform you that I am about to gift the residents of Etawah 128 development projects worth Rs 604 crore. I congratulate the residents of Etawah on this.
"Later, addressing an event in Mainpuri, where he inaugurated and laid the foundation stones of multiple development projects, Yogi Adityanath said the district is now recognised for its traditional and historical identity, while alleging that it was previously associated with fear and insecurity. He accused those who had represented the region of creating problems for youth, farmers, traders and women.
He said, "Today's Mainpuri is known for its traditional and historical identity. But there was a time when people were afraid of the name Mainpuri. Who created this identity crisis? Who were those people who snatched the jobs of the young people here, who snatched the prosperity of the farmers who feed us, who made the businessmen insecure, and who created a security crisis for the daughters? Who were those people who made our workers unemployed? They weren't from somewhere far away."
The Chief Minister alleged that the same people had not only created an identity crisis for Mainpuri and Etawah but had also pushed Uttar Pradesh into a state of decline.
"They are among your own people; they were the ones who not only raised questions for Mainpuri and Etawah, but also created an identity crisis for UP and pushed it into a sick state, rendering it non-existent," the CM added.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Finally, a meaningful change! The Samajwadi Party's decision to remove Sant Ravidas's name was shameful. This is a step towards correcting historical wrongs and honoring our saints. Hope other districts also get similar recognition based on their spiritual heritage.
While renaming is fine, I hope the government focuses more on actual development in Bhadohi like better roads, education, and healthcare for carpet weavers. The weavers there work in poor conditions. Renaming alone won't improve their lives. 🤔
Good to see the CM acknowledging Etawah's past crime issues and crediting the zero-tolerance policy. But words need to match actions—let's see if those 128 projects for Etawah actually materialize. Mainpuri too has suffered for decades; change takes time.
Renaming districts is symbolic politics. The real test is whether Bhadohi's carpet industry workers—many from marginalized communities—get better wages and safety. Also, hope this doesn't become a trend of renaming every district after saints; practical governance matters more.
As someone from UP, I appreciate honoring Sant Ravidas, but I wish the CM would also talk about farmer issues, unemployment, and inflation. These name changes feel like distractions from real problems. Still, if it brings unity and pride, it's not all bad.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.