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The Hindu
The Hindu
National
The Hindu Bureau

Where ‘Ram’ means land

Netizens in the Christian-majority Mizoram have faulted the mapping of a locality in the State’s capital Aizawl as one of 1,230 towns in India whose names begin with that of Ram.

India in Pixels, a digital project of an IIT Kharagpur alumnus named Ashris Choudhury posted on social media platforms a map of the country showing “every town in India that starts with the name of Shri Ram”.

He may have got all the names correct except that of Ramhlun, the Mizoram-based netizens pointed out.

Ramhlun is a large locality in Aizawl whose residents include former Chief Minister Zoramthanga.

What amused the netizens was Mr. Choudhury’s assumption that the first syllable of ‘Ramhlun’ could not mean anything other than the name of the Hindu deity.

Ram in the Duhlian language of the Mizo community means “land” and has no religious connotation, the netizens said and sought a correction from the person who posted the map.

India in Pixels is described on YouTube as a “data storytelling channel that makes video essays exploring connections in the cultural artefacts of India – languages, films, music, stories, and life”.

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