Mumbai, July 18 -- Union Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has said that the proposal to rename Islampur in Sangli district as Ishwarpur in Maharashtra reflects India's ongoing cultural renaissance. He said that it marks an effort to restore historical identities that were once deliberately erased.

Speaking to the media on Friday, Shekhawat said, "There were many of our subjects, places, history books, and incidents, which were intentionally erased, or attempts were made to erase them. Now that they are coming alive again, and India is going through a phase of cultural renaissance, this should be seen with a healthy mindset, from a perspective that these are being restored."

Supporting the decision, Maharashtra Minis...