Indian STATE Says fruit now lotus, not dragon

The government in Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home state of Gujarat has decided to change the name of dragon fruit as it feels the original name is associated with China, drawing derision from the country’s opposition on Wednesday. India and China are currently locked in a military standoff along their Himalayan border, with New delhi responding to the deaths of 20 of its troops in June by banning Chinese-made apps and curbing imports. “The Gujarat government has decided ... the word dragon fruit is not appropriate, and is associated with China. The fruit’s shape is like a lotus, and hence we have given it a new Sanskrit name, kamalam. There is nothing political about it,” Gujarat chief minister Vijay rupani said Tuesday.