Reviving whispers from antiquity, Upendra Kushwaha, president of Rashtriya Lok Morcha, proposed in the Rajya Sabha today to rechristen Patna as Pataliputra, saluting its role as the Mauryan Empire’s thriving capital. The Wednesday intervention came amid discussions thanking President Droupadi Murmu for her address, seamlessly weaving history into contemporary aspirations.
Kushwaha reminisced about an era when Pataliputra anchored a superpower extending to Afghanistan in the west and Bangladesh in the east. ‘These ruins before us are testaments to that glory; it’s our duty to dust off history and breathe life into it,’ he proclaimed. Aligning with the President’s emphasis on ancestral legacies fueling national growth, he stressed how such pride propels India from ‘Golden Sparrow’ to modern powerhouse.
Challenging inaction, he cited smooth transitions like Bombay to Mumbai and Orissa to Odisha. ‘If those were possible, why not Patna to Pataliputra?’ Bihar’s Mauryan-era zenith, marked by globally revered landmarks, merits this step, he insisted.
The proposal ignites debate on name changes as tools for identity reclamation. In a nation redefining itself, Kushwaha’s words challenge policymakers to confront the past proactively. Whether it leads to action or archives, it spotlights Bihar’s enduring historical heft in India’s story.