2 weeks ago
Kolkata’s Marx, Lenin, Ho Chi Minh Roads May Be Renamed
A committee in West Bengal is discussing whether some Kolkata roads should get new names.
The roads include Lenin Sarani, Karl Marx Sarani and Ho Chi Minh Sarani.
No final decision has been made.
Tathagata Roy suggested naming Lenin Sarani after Debaprasad Ghosh.
He suggested Bengali writers for Karl Marx Sarani and Martin Luther King Jr. for Ho Chi Minh Sarani.
The committee is expected to discuss the ideas after Durga Puja.
The proposals may then go to government authorities for a final decision.
The Trinamool Congress and the CPI(M) oppose changing Lenin Sarani’s name.
A West Bengal BJP government committee is considering renaming Lenin, Karl Marx and Ho Chi Minh Sarani in Kolkata.
The 10-member panel is expected to discuss the proposals after Durga Puja, with no decision taken yet.
Tathagata Roy proposed Debaprasad Ghosh for Lenin Sarani and Michael Madhusudan Dutt or Rangalal Bandyopadhyay for Karl Marx Sarani.
Roy suggested Martin Luther King Jr. as a possible new name for Ho Chi Minh Sarani and proposed other renamings across the state.
The Trinamool Congress called the proposals vendetta politics and said it would oppose changing Lenin Sarani’s name.
- Who
- A 10-member West Bengal government committee, including Swami Pradiptananda and Tathagata Roy, is considering the proposals; the Trinamool Congress and CPI(M) have objected.
- What
- Proposals are being considered to rename several Kolkata roads, including Lenin Sarani, Karl Marx Sarani and Ho Chi Minh Sarani.
- Where
- Kolkata, West Bengal, including Kidderpore and the Esplanade area.
- When
- The committee is expected to take up the proposals after Durga Puja in October; no decision has yet been made.
- Why
- The articles report proposed replacement names and broader recommendations, but do not establish a single definitive reason for the renamings.
Supporters of Renaming
Opponents of Renaming
Replacing communist-associated road names
Supporters of Renaming
Committee member Tathagata Roy supports considering new names for roads named after Vladimir Lenin, Karl Marx and Ho Chi Minh, including names linked to Indian or Bengali figures.
Opponents of Renaming
The Trinamool Congress says ideological differences with Communists do not justify changing Lenin Sarani and argues that people with differing beliefs should be respected.
Names of public figures
Supporters of Renaming
Roy proposed names such as Debaprasad Ghosh, Michael Madhusudan Dutt, Rangalal Bandyopadhyay and Martin Luther King Jr. for selected roads.
Opponents of Renaming
The Trinamool Congress argues that places connected with distinguished personalities should retain those names, citing Metro stations named after figures such as Barun Sengupta and Uttam Kumar.
Political meaning of the proposals
Supporters of Renaming
The proposals are presented by the committee as recommendations for consideration, alongside suggestions involving other roads, bus stands and Metro stations.
Opponents of Renaming
The Trinamool Congress describes the initiative as “vendetta politics” and a destructive effort to erase or disrespect competing political philosophies.
Key facts
- Roads under consideration
- Lenin Sarani, Karl Marx Sarani and Ho Chi Minh Sarani
- Proposed name for Lenin Sarani
- Debaprasad Ghosh
- Proposed names for Karl Marx Sarani
- Michael Madhusudan Dutt or Rangalal Bandyopadhyay
- Proposed name for Ho Chi Minh Sarani
- Martin Luther King Jr.
- Committee
- A 10-member panel headed by Swami Pradiptananda, also known as Kartik Maharaj
- Timing
- The first discussion is expected after Durga Puja in October
- Earlier renaming
- Suhrawardy Avenue was renamed months earlier
Quotes
Tathagata Roy
BJP leader and member of the West Bengal advisory committee
“If they try to change the name of Lenin Sarani, it will not merely be about Comrade Lenin. Such an attitude will show that they are in no way willing to show tolerance or respect towards distinguished people who hold different beliefs, subscribe to different philosophies or have different ways of thinking.”
NDTV
“No decision has been taken yet, and the recommendations will be made after the Durga Puja in October.”
NDTV
Sources
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