Pune renaming · Politics
National OBC Mukti Morcha demands Pune be renamed ‘Phule Nagar’
National OBC Mukti Morcha, which wants Pune renamed ‘Phule Nagar’, also seeks the state government’s intervention in pursuing the Bharat Ratna for Mahatma Jyotiba Phule with the Centre, a special one-day session of the state legislature and a ‘Satyashodhak Bhushan’ award.
A delegation of National OBC Mukti Morcha office-bearers recently met Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in Nagpur and submitted a memorandum demanding that Pune be renamed ‘Phule Nagar’ in honour of Mahatma Jyotiba Phule.
The organisation wants the renaming to mark Phule’s upcoming bicentenary. In the memorandum it urged the state government to pass an official resolution proposing the renaming and to initiate the necessary process.
The organisation said Phule made invaluable contributions to education and social reform. Since Pune was closely associated with his work and social reform movements, it said, renaming the city would be a tribute to his legacy.
The memorandum also sought the state government’s intervention in pursuing the Bharat Ratna for Phule with the Centre. In March 2025, the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly unanimously passed a resolution recommending the honour posthumously for both Jyotiba Phule and his wife, Savitribai Phule.
Among the organisation’s other demands are a special one-day session of the state legislature to discuss Phule’s contributions, and special general body meetings in local self-government institutions across Maharashtra on April 11, 2027, to mark his birth anniversary.
The delegation also proposed a ‘Satyashodhak Bhushan’ award for individuals and organisations working towards social awareness, progressive causes and development.
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