Dalhousie, is a town spread over five hills near the Dhauladhar mountain range, in the Chamba district of the state of Himachal Pradesh. It is famous for its spectacular natural beauty, nestled deep in the Himalayas at an altitude of 6,460 feet and offers a stunning, panoramic view of the Himalayan range extending from Himachal Pradesh to Kashmir.
Dalhousie, the name of a small yet popular mountain town snuggled in the remote Pir Panjal range of the Himalayas, has triggered a heated political row within the governing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
BJP parliamentarian Subramanian Swamy has locked horns with the BJP state chief of Himachal Pradesh over demands to rename the town, blasting Thakur for “sticking with Congress” over the issue.
The picturesque town, which offers a panoramic view of the mighty Himalayas, was named after Lord Dalhousie, Governor General of India in 1848 and is marked by British-era architecture, including several churches and a 19th century cemetery. The town was created by the British to be used as a sanatorium for UK troops.
Lord Dalhousie is known for promoting the “divide and rule policy” in India after Hindus and Muslims fought a united battle against the British in 1857. The policy sowed seeds of discord between Hindus and Muslims and created great communal tension. Swamy has sought the name to be changed to Subhash Nagar, after Indian leader Subhash Chandra Bose who played a key role in the freedom movement…
