New Delhi: Several well-known roads in Kolkata could soon have new names with a West Bengal government-appointed committee examining proposals to rename
public roads, bridges and other places across the state.
Among the names being reviewed are Lenin Sarani, Karl Marx Sarani and Ho Chi Minh Sarani, all of which are associated with prominent communist leaders. However, no final decision has been made yet.
A 10-member committee headed by Swami Pradiptananda, popularly known as Kartik Maharaj of Bharat Sevashram, is expected to begin discussions after Durga Puja. A Kolkata Municipal Corporation official said the panel’s recommendations will determine whether any of the proposed changes move forward.
Names under review
The committee includes former Meghalaya governor Tathagata Roy, Chief Minister’s adviser Subrata Gupta and Kolkata Municipal Corporation Commissioner Smita Pandey. It has been asked to consider whether the personalities behind existing names remain relevant to Indian and Bengali heritage and culture.
Kartik Maharaj said the panel would examine the proposals before sending its recommendations to the West Bengal Assembly. “Ho Chi Minh Sarani, Lenin Sarani and Karl Marx Sarani will be renamed. Proposals have also been received for changing the names of other roads,” he said.
Roy, a former BJP state president, has already suggested several alternatives. He proposed naming Lenin Sarani after mathematician and former Bharatiya Jana Sangh president Debaprasad Ghosh.
For Karl Marx Sarani in Kidderpore, Roy suggested the names of Bengali poets Michael Madhusudan Dutt or Rangalal Bandyopadhyay, pointing to their connections with the area. He proposed naming Ho Chi Minh Sarani after American civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.
More renaming proposals
The suggestions go beyond the three Kolkata roads. Roy has also called for the removal of the Lenin statue at the crossing of Jawaharlal Nehru Road and Sidhho-Kanhu Dahar. He has proposed naming a major city road after Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
Some other place names are also being examined. Roy has suggested replacing names associated with Muslim figures with those of personalities he considers “nationalist Muslims”. His proposals include writer Qazi Abdul Wadud, educationist Begum Rokeya and author S Wajed Ali as possible alternatives for the Titumir-named bus stand in Barasat.
A debate over Kolkata’s past
The road names under discussion have been part of Kolkata’s landscape for decades. Lenin Sarani was earlier known as Dharmatala Street before being renamed in 1970 to mark Lenin’s birth centenary. Circular Garden Reach Road was renamed Karl Marx Sarani a year later.
The proposed changes have now opened a wider discussion about Kolkata’s political history and cultural identity. While supporters may view renaming as a way to recognise different historical figures, critics could argue that removing established names risks weakening links with the city’s past.
For now, the committee is still at the review stage and the final decision will depend on its recommendations and the subsequent process in the state.
