“The government of Gujarat has decided … the word dragon fruit is not appropriate, and is associated with China. The shape of the fruit is like a lotus, so we have given it a new Sanskrit name, kamalam. There is nothing political about it. . ‘,’ Gujarat’s prime minister, Vijay Rupani, told media on Tuesday.
The development comes a few months after Modi praised farmers on a radio show for dragon fruit cultivation in Gujarat’s arid Kutch region.
“Then the farmers approached me and suggested changing the name from dragon fruit to kamalam,” Vinod Chavda, the BJP MP from Kutch, told Reuters. “I am pleased that the state has accepted the proposal.”
There are more than 200 farmers growing dragon fruit on more than 1,500 acres in Kutch alone, said Haresh Thakkar, a farmer from the region.
“The fruit’s Indian name will bring us better luck. We think the acceptance level of the fruit will also increase if it is considered an Indian fruit,” said Thakkar, who has been growing dragon fruit for five years.
The fruit is also grown in the neighboring state of Maharashtra and northeast India. There was no sign that local authorities there were planning a name change.
The opposition congress called the name change a trick.
“The government has nothing worth showing as achievements, and is trying to divert attention from real issues,” said Manish Doshi, spokesman for the Gujarat Congress.