Bhopal: Patalpani Railway station in Indore will be renamed as Tantya Mama Railway station, informed Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on November 22nd. The Madhya Pradesh CM addressed the cabinet on November 23rd to discuss the renaming of Patalpani Railway Station. Patalpani railway station is being renamed after tribal icon Tantya Bhil. The state is also planning to conduct two Kalash Yatras in the memory of Tantya Bhil. The yatra, which will reach Indore (Patalpani) through Khandwa, Burhanpur, Barwani, Alirajpur, Jhabua, Ratlam, Ujjain, will culminate on December 4th.
CM further informed that 2 other landmarks will also be named after Tantya Bhil- Indore’s Bhanwar Kuan intersection and MR 10 bus stand, which are being developed at the cost of Rs 53 crore. The decision comes following a move by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had earlier inaugurated the Rani Kamlapati Station which was earlier called Habibganj Railway Station. The Madhya Pradesh government has earlier written a letter to the Union Home Ministry to change the name of the Habibganj Railway Station. Before that, the state’s chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has written a letter to the home ministry to rename the station after Rani Kamlapati.
Mr Chouhan said “petty and false” cases against tribals will be withdrawn. “Youngsters from tribal communities would be trained so that they can clear the competitive Army recruitment exams,” he said. The CM said a medical college will be opened in Mandla in the name of king Hirde Shah, a freedom fighter. Known as the “Indian Robin Hood” by tribals, Tantya Bhil is hailed as one of the revolutionaries who waged an armed struggle against British rule for 12 years. It is said that Tantya used to loot the treasuries of the British government and distribute the wealth among the poor.