Maharashtra's Sultanpur renamed Rahul Nagar; locals retitle after 26/11 martyr

In honour of a native who lost his life-fighting terrorists during the 26/11 Mumbai attacks in 2008, a Maharashtra village with a population of around 1,000 people and 600 houses will now be known as 'Rahul Nagar'.  

A State Reserve Police Force (SRPF) constable named Rahul Shinde was killed during the terror attacks 14 years ago. One of the first police officers to enter the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in south Mumbai following reports of terrorist firing was Shinde, from Sultanpur in the Madha tehsil of the Solapur district. Shinde passed away after being shot by terrorists in the stomach.

The government honoured him with the President's Police Medal for his supreme sacrifice, and the residents of Sultanpur decided to rename their village after him, as he was born and raised in the same village. The official renaming ceremony, however, has yet to take place.

While talking to PTI, the father of the late Rahul Shinde, Subhash Vishnu Shinde, said, "The government formalities for renaming the village have been completed. Currently, we are awaiting the official renaming ceremony."

"We are waiting for the dignitaries and guests to confirm the dates, and it will soon be finalised," he added. Further, Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Vishwas Nangre Patil, who was then Deputy Commissioner of Police (zone-I) in Mumbai, helped him in the process.

"For the past ten years, I have been following up with the government on this. It's finally done. I'm satisfied now and don't wish for anything else. I am honoured that the village now has my son's name," he said. 

Shinde said about his martyred son Rahul, "He showed courage while fighting terrorists and made the ultimate sacrifice for the country. I am very proud of my son."

Subhash Shinde is the father of two more children, a son and a daughter. He now lives with his younger son, who recently married. 

Furthermore, he continued, "Rahul's mother is still traumatised. She still hasn't overcome... She can still not accept that Rahul is no longer alive." "Following Rahul's death, the government provided us with financial assistance in accordance with the rules. We also got a flat in Mumbai and a gas agency in the taluka, which helps the family make ends meet," he said. The Shinde family is also in the farming business.

He explained that this year they harvested sugarcane on their farm. Shinde also established the Rahul memorial in the village in 2010.

He said that the Rs 10 lakh in aid received by the family from the Mumbai civic body was used to install the memorial.

"The memorial is intended to inspire the next generation. The youth should believe that when the time comes, they must be willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for their country," he added. 

"I did all of this while putting aside my grief to keep his memories alive," Shinde asserted, adding that he was waiting for the official renaming ceremony.

During the 60-hour blockade in Mumbai, 10 Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists from Pakistan arrived by sea route and opened fire, killing 166 people, including 18 security personnel, and injuring several others.

Terrorists targeted the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, the Oberoi Trident, the Taj Mahal Hotel, the Leopold Cafe, Cama Hospital, and the Nariman House Jewish community centre, now renamed Nariman Light House.

Security forces, including the NSG, the country's elite commando force, later killed nine terrorists. Ajmal Kasab was the only terrorist arrested alive. On November 21, 2012, he was hanged four years later.

(With inputs from PTI)

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