The government of Haryana has undertaken an initiative to rename villages with embarrassing or outrageous names. In the past eight years, 17 such villages have been given more respectable alternatives. These name changes were recently highlighted in an achievement booklet released by the BJP-led government led by Manohar Lal Khattar. The booklet showcases the government’s efforts to address the long-standing requests of the residents who were seeking a change in their village names. This initiative has garnered attention for not only renaming villages with unspeakable names like Ganda (dirty), Kinnar (Eunuch), Kutia Kheri (abode of bitches), and Ganda Khera (place of bad people) to Ajit Nagar, Gaibi Nagar, Veerpur, and Gurukul Khera respectively but also for changing Muslim-sounding names like Mustafabad, Khijrabad, Bal Rangdaan, Ameen, and Mohammadheri to Saraswati Nagar, Pratap Nagar, Bal Rajputan, Abhimanyupur, and Brahampuri respectively. The renaming initiative includes a prominent name change – Gurgaon, which was renamed Gurugram in 2016. This change was made to celebrate the city’s association with Mahabharat’s Guru Dronacharya, the Pandavas’ archery teacher. The renaming drive began in June 2015 and continued until August of this year. The catalyst for the name change in one of the villages was a letter written by Harpreet Kaur of Ganda village to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2015. In her letter, she expressed her distress over the embarrassment, humiliation, and insults faced by the residents due to the village’s name. She also mentioned how the residents were reluctant to reveal the name of their village. Harpreet recalled the frequent taunts she and others faced, with her cousin heaping insults by referring to their village as a dirty one. The government’s decision to rename these villages has been widely appreciated for addressing a long-standing concern of the residents and providing them with more dignified alternatives. By changing these village names, the government aims to erase the stigma associated with them and promote a sense of pride and inclusivity among the residents. The renaming of villages with embarrassing names is a step towards building a more progressive and inclusive society.