BJP MLA from Lansdowne, Dilip Rawat, has urged the defence ministry to scrap the proposal to rename the historic cantonment town as "Jaswant Garh", asserting that the move would "severely damage" the area's fame as an international tourism destination and affect the local economy.

In a letter sent to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday, Rawat described the ongoing renaming process as "extremely regrettable".

He noted that Lansdowne has established itself as a premier destination on the global tourism map, providing vital financial benefits to the residents of Pauri Garhwal district.

"It has come to my notice that the process of renaming Lansdowne Cantonment, located in Pauri Garhwal district of Uttarakhand, is underway, which is extremely regrettable," Rawat's letter read.

The MLA warned that the name change would dent the town's fame as a growing tourist destination, "which is not beneficial for Uttarakhand", and emphasised that the residents did not prefer any tampering with the town's name either.

On April 10, the Lansdowne Cantonment Board issued a public notice seeking feedback or objections to a proposal for renaming the town after the 1962 war hero, Rifleman Jaswant Singh Rawat.

Speaking to PTI, the MLA questioned the logic of removing colonial names when the condition of the town remains the same.

If the goal is to erase the "slave mentality," then names like Goa (Portuguese origin), Lansdowne Chowk in Dehradun, and the world-famous Corbett National Park should also be reconsidered, he said.

"If you want to change something, change the facilities and the condition of the town. Mere nomen clature achieves nothing," he said.

The MLA also highlighted the Indian Army's emotional and historical link to the town, noting that lakhs of soldiers have trained at the Garhwal Rifles Regimental Centre.

Rawat warned that he would stand with the public in an organised protest if the board proceeds with the name change against local sentiments.

The name change proposal comes at a time when residents are already frustrated over the delay in transitioning the civil areas of the cantonment into a municipal body. An elected board representation has been absent in Lansdowne ever since the term of ward members ended on February 10, 2020.

The Cantonment Board is currently managed by a three-member ad hoc committee comprising the Brigadier of Garhwal Rifles, the Chief Executive Officer, and one nominated member.

Lansdowne Cantonment Board CEO Harshit Raj Singh told PTI that the proposal to rename the area was sent following Central directives. Public notices have been pasted and advertisements have been issued to solicit feedback from stakeholders.

The town, which was established as a cantonment in 1887 and got a formal board in 1929, continues to be governed by The Cantonments Act. While the Act was amended in 2006, residents claim it merely increased the powers of officials without providing relief from restrictive colonial-era regulations.

In March 2025, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami had announced the renaming of 15 places across Haridwar, Dehradun, Nainital and Udham Singh Nagar districts in accordance with "public sentiments and Indian culture and heritage".

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