Kolkata's Suhrawardy Avenue renamed as Gopal Mukherjee Road, CM hails decision

Kolkata, Jun 21 (PTI) The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) renamed Suhrawardy Avenue in Park Circus as Gopal Mukherjee Road, a move hailed by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari as a step towards correcting a “historical wrong”.

The decision was taken by the civic body on Saturday, and the notification was shared by Adhikari on social media on Sunday.

“Kolkata Municipal Corporation has decided that the road known as Suhrawardy Avenue in KMC area will be named and henceforth be known as Gopal Mukherjee Road,” said the notification issued by the municipal commissioner.

Suhrawardy Avenue, located near the busy Park Circus seven-point crossing, is a key arterial road. The road was named in 1932 after Hassan Suhrawardy, a noted physician and the first

Muslim vice-chancellor of the University of Calcutta. He is the uncle of former Pakistani PM Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy.

Adhikari said the civic body’s decision would help rectify what he termed a historical error.

“I commend the historic decision taken by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation yesterday, on the solemn occasion of Paschimbanga Divas, which would be instrumental in rectifying a historical wrong. Suhrawardy Avenue will now be renamed as Gopal Mukherjee Road,” he said in the social media post.

Adhikari said that for decades a prominent road in the city had carried the name of a person who, according to him, had misused state power, and that renaming it after Gopal Mukherjee would honour “a true guardian and saviour”.

“By renaming it after Shri Gopal Mukherjee, the fearless soul who stepped up as a protector-in-chief to defend and save thousands of innocent lives, finally, restoration of historical justice will be achieved by honouring a true guardian and saviour. It’s time West Bengal remembers, corrects and honours the real heroes,” he said. PTI SCH SOM