On January 19, the Gujarat government announced that they have decided to rename Dragon Fruit to ‘Kamalam.’ Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said that the word dragon is not suitable for a fruit. Thus, they have decided to change the name. “As the outer shape of the fruit resembles a lotus, hence Dragon Fruit shall be renamed as ‘Kamalam’,” he added.
https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1351616604069457922?ref_src=twsrc%5EtfwThe state government has sent a petition through Gujarat Forest Department to the Indian Council of Agriculture Research to rename the fruit Kamalam. The state government has applied to patent the name.
Notably, in the last few years, Kutch and Navasari have producing Dragon fruit in large quantities. Over 150 farmers in Gujarat are growing the fruit, and it is being sold across India and abroad.
PM Modi mentioned dragon fruit in Mann Ki Baat
On July 26, 2020, in Mann Ki Baat’s episode, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had talked about the fruit. He said that farmers of Kutch are making commendable efforts in the cultivation of Dragon fruit. “I have been told that the popularity of Dragon Fruits is constantly increasing, especially usage in breakfast has increased considerably. The farmers of Kutch have resolved that the country should not import Dragon Fruit, and this is what self reliance is all about,” he added.