Rename Rajiv Gandhi National Park after Field Marshal Cariappa: Kodagu residents start online petition
09 Aug 2021 11:20:54
Kodagu, August 09: After the Centre renamed the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, now the locals from Karnataka's Kodagu district have sent a petition to the Centre and state government to rename Rajiv Gandhi National Park after Field Marshal KM Cariappa.
The petition has been signed by over 6,000 people and has been sent to the Prime Minister and Karnataka Chief Minister. In the petition, they have urged to rename the Rajiv Gandhi National Park to General Cariappa National Park after Field Marshal KM Cariappa, who hails from Kodagu.
The petitioners claimed that renaming the Nagarahole National Park would honor the Indian Army. The petitioners have also notified Forest Minister Bhupender Yadav regarding the need for a renaming of the park.
While speaking to the private news agency, Naveen Mandappa said, "Formerly known as Nagarahole National Reserve Forest was changed to Rajiv Gandhi National Park Nagarahole just to appease a particular family and its party. Why should it not be renamed to its past name or named after the first General of India who was from Kodagu? If it is renamed General Cariappa National Park then this will be a great honour to the great generals of Kodagu. It will also be an honor to the Indian Army.”
Who was General KM Carriappa?
General KM Carriappa was the first Indian Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army. He took over the reins of the Indian Army from General Sir Francis Butcher, the last British Commander-in-Chief of India. He led the Army on the Western Front during the Indo-Pakistani War in 1947. General Carriappa was the recipient of the title of Field Marshal of India.
His military career almost lasted for three decades, at the highest point of which he was appointed as the Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Military in 1949.
This has come after Prime Minister Narendra Modi renamed the prestigious sports award as Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna award, to honor the hockey legend.
Major Dhyan Chand is one of the greatest sports personalities of the country who represented India at the Olympics in 1928, 1932, and 1936 and ensured Olympic medals to the country in hockey.
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