8 states renamed Raj Bhawan as Lok Bhawan

Eight states and a Union territory have changed the name of their governor/lieutenant governor’s house from ‘Raj Bhavan(Raj Niwas)’ to ‘Lok Bhavan/Lok Niwas’ following a directive from ministry of home affairs (MHA) to shed the earlier nomenclature associated with colonial era. Accordingly, Gujarat,Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Tripura, Kerala, Odisha and Tamil Nadu, the Raj Bhavans have already been renamed. The announcements have been made on social media mosty by the Governors.

In a letter to principal secretaries or secretaries to state governors and lieutenant governors of UTs, the home ministry cited the suggestion made at the conference of governors held last year “to rename ‘Raj Bhavans’ as ‘Lok Bhavans’ as the word ‘Raj Bhavan’ smacks of colonialism.” “Accordingly, it is requested that offices of governor and office of Lt governor may be named as ‘Lok Bhavan’ and ‘Lok Niwas’, respectively, for all official purposes,” said the MHA directive.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has said, “What is needed more than a change in the name is a change in the mindset”.He said the actual need of the hour is to respect the governments elected by the people and the Assembly that has the sovereignty to fulfill the people’s will. “If there is no change in thought and action, this change (in name) is also unnecessary!,” the CM said.