Addressing the media at Press Club Chandigarh, Sahib Singh Thind said that Dalhousie in Himachal Pradesh was named after the British Administrator, Lord Dalhousie during the British rule. He said that it is strange that an administrator who was known for his brutalities on Indians is still given respect by remembering him every day. He urged the central government to curb the British legacy and rename such cities after freedom fighters who laid lives for the motherland.
Speaking about Prof. Mohan Singh memorial Foundation Sahib Singh Thind said the NGO has been working for over 30 years with governments of different countries worldwide to address the matter of official parliamentary apologies and colonial name changes for historical wrongs committed by colonial powers and their proxies. He thanked Modi government for renaming three islands of Andaman and Nicobar after freedom fighters of Indian independence movement. He added that in November 2016 our foundation started a movement to provide justice to the Indian freedom fighters lodged at Andaman and Nicobar jails while fighting against the brutal British colonial rule in which Gadharites and other revolutionaries from across the subcontinent also played a crucial role. During his visit to Andaman and Nicobar in 2018 the Prime Minister Narendra Modi ordered to change the names of islands. Later on the names of 3 islands namely Ross, Neil and Havelock were changed to Netaji Subash Chandra Island, Shaheed Island and Swaraj Island respectively.
Now again he have approached and written to Hon'ble President of India Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP National President J P. Nadha, Congress National President Ms. Sonia Gandhi, and also the Chairperson of National Human Right Commission, to convey my concern over prominence given to the brutal British administrators, particularly to Lord Dalhousie. He is sure that his effort will bear fruit very soon.
Speaking about Dalhousie's role in Indian context, Sahib Singh Thind said that after appointment as Governor General of India in 1848 he introduced doctrine of lapse that led to Indian mutiny of 1857. He was behind annexation of Punjab from the Sikh rule of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. However, the contribution of Sardar Ajit Singh as a patriot and role for independence of India can't be ignored. He was a revolutionary and a nationalist who became inspiration for Shaheed Bhagat Singh who laid foundation of free India. Alongwith Lala Lajpat Rai he was among the first who challenged British rule in Punjab and his fight for rights of peasants by opposing Punjab colonization act of 1906 led to a mass movement against the colonial rule. The hill town was set up in 1854 and was named after Governor General Dalhousie, but the contribution of Sardar Ajit Singh has not been recoganised the way it should have been.
Sahib Singh Thind added that as the matter concerns state government of Himachal Pradesh he had also written to Himachal Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, Leader of Opposition Mukesh Agnihotri, and Congress state president Kuldeep Rathore. Thind said he had met BJP state president Mr. Rajeev Bindal who promised to take up the cause with the Himachal and Government of India.
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