As part of the union government’s effort to eliminate colonial legacies, the Indian Army has renamed Fort William, the headquarters of its Eastern Command in Kolkata, to ‘Vijay Durg.’
Wing Commander Himanshu Tiwari, Chief Public Relations Officer of the Ministry of Defence (Kolkata), confirmed that the renaming was approved in December 2024.
Tiwari stated, “The directive was issued in the second week of December, although an official announcement is yet to be made. However, we have already stopped using ‘Fort William’ in internal communications.” The British constructed the historic Fort William in 1781 and named after England’s King William III.
The new name, ‘Vijay Durg,’ is inspired by the ancient fort on Maharashtra’s Sindhudurg coast, which served as a formidable naval stronghold for the Marathas under Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
This renaming marks a significant step in the Indian government’s ongoing effort to shed remnants of its colonial past and honour its indigenous history. By replacing Fort William with ‘Vijay Durg,’ the government not only pays tribute to the Maratha legacy but also reaffirms its commitment to honoring India’s cultural and historical pride. The move reflects a broader agenda of reclaiming and celebrating the country’s rich heritage, which had been overshadowed during the colonial era.
