Indian state of Gujarat renames dragon fruit to spite China, gets roasted online

In Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home state of Gujarat, the fruit will now be known as ‘kamalam’ after the Sanskrit name for lotus

Officials said the word dragon is ‘associated with China’ – despite India mainly importing the fruits from Vietnam and South America

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A dragon fruit, which Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home state of Gujarat wants to rename after the lotus flower. Photo: SCMP

Published: 10:00pm, 20 Jan 2021Updated: 10:20pm, 20 Jan 2021

A decision by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home state of Gujarat to rename dragon fruit because the word dragon is “associated with China” has drawn derision on social media.

Chief Minister Vijay Rupani on Tuesday told local media that the Bharatiya Janata Party government in Gujarat had decided the fruit’s name should be changed to kamalam, meaning lotus in Sanskrit, because it is shaped like the flower – the party symbol of the ruling BJP.

“The name dragon fruit is not proper, and due to its name one thinks of China. So we have given it the name kamalam,” Rupani said. “Farmers say it looks like lotus and that is the reason we have named it kamalam,” he said explaining the reason behind the name, adding that the state government had applied for a patent to rename the fruit.

Rupani’s announcement was mocked on Twitter, with some saying it was a “befitting reply to China”, which is currently engaged in a months-long border stand-off with India in the Himalayas.

“After reading this, China has started shivering … and leaving Arunachal Pradesh and has offered India to build 100 villages inside China. Well done,” one user wrote, referring to a report that China had built a 100-house village in the Indian territory.

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