The Indian Army has renamed as many as 246 roads, buildings, complexes, residential colonies and facilities in military stations across the country that bore the names of western officials from the pre-Independence era.The facilities have been rechristened after Indian military personalities. This has been done as part of the government’s ongoing review of British influence on its culture and traditions.“The initiative is part of Indian Army’s efforts to align its institutional spaces with India’s military traditions and national ethos. It gives pride to the nation’s gallantry awardees, battle heroes and distinguished military leaders, reflecting the core values of courage, sacrifice and leadership,” Minister of State for Defence, Sanjay Seth said in response to a question by Member of Parliament, Dr Ganapathy Rajkumar P, on March 13.The highest number of facilities that have been renamed are located in the territorial jurisdiction of the Central Command, headquartered at Lucknow, followed by the Western Command based in Chandimandir.As many as 74 facilities have been renamed in Central Command, 67 in the Western Command, 55 in the Southern Command, 33 in the Eastern Command and 17 in the South Western Command, according to information shared by the Ministry of Defence with Parliament.Giving state wise details, the ministry said that 51 places have been renamed in Uttar Pradesh and 40 in Haryana. The figure for Punjab is eight and for Himachal Pradesh, at one time the home to the summer capital of British India, is three.In the Western Command zone, which includes parts of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu, 34 roads, 32 residential colonies and one building have been renamed.  This includes 23 roads in Haryana and two each in Punjab and Himachal Pradesh and 17 residential complexes in Haryana, six in Punjab and two in Himachal.Overall, the name change involves 124 roads, 77 residential colonies, 27 office complexes and buildings and 17 other facilities such as training areas, sports grounds, helipads, parks and entry gates.Since the history and lineage of the Indian Army, as it exists today, goes back hundreds of years, many regiments were named after British officers who either raised the units or were associated with them. Similarly, important landmarks, buildings, and facilities in cantonments were named after prominent British officers.During the Combined Commanders’ Conference in 2021, the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi had also asked the defence services to shed the “outdated” colonial customs and practices that were “no longer relevant,” and bring in an indigenous touch.To cite a few recent examples, Mall Road and Proby Road in Delhi Cantonment have been renamed as Lieutenant Arun Khetrapal Marg and Major Shaitan Singh Marg. Patterson Road Quarters in Ambala Cantonment, one of the oldest and largest in the country is now called Dhan Singh Thapa Enclave, while the New Horn Lines in Mathura Cantonment is renamed as Abdul Hamid Lines. Malcolm Lines in Mhow is now Piru Singh Lines. All five are recipients of the Param Vir Chakra, the highest award for gallantry.Similarly, Kitchener House, named after Field Marshal Horatio Herbert Kitchener, who as Commander-in-Chief carried out wide ranging reforms to reorganise and transform the British Indian Army into a modern force in the early 1900s, has been rechristened as Manekshaw House after Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, post-Independent India’s most eminent Army Chief.Apart from the renaming exercise, the Armed Forces have also tweaked some of their customs and mess uniforms and done away with some traditions and practices that were continuing since the British times.