West Bengal Committee to Rename Kolkata Roads After Lenin, Marx, Ho Chi Minh
· India · The Hindu, Indian Express
A 10-member committee in West Bengal, led by Swami Pradiptananda (Kartik Maharaj), is reviewing proposals to rename three Kolkata roads—Lenin Sarani, Karl Marx Sarani, and Ho Chi Minh Sarani—alongside other public spaces in the state. The panel, which includes former Meghalaya Governor Tathagata Roy and Kolkata Municipal Corporation Commissioner Smita Pandey, will assess the relevance of these names in the context of Indian and Bengali heritage. Roy suggested renaming Lenin Sarani after Debaprasad Ghosh, Karl Marx Sarani after Michael Madhusudan Dutt or Rangalal Bandyopadhyay, and Ho Chi Minh Sarani after Martin Luther King Jr. The committee’s recommendations will be submitted to the state Assembly after Durga Puja, with no decision yet finalised. The process reflects broader debates over historical naming conventions in public spaces.
Why it matters
The renaming process directly impacts Kolkata’s urban identity and public memory, influencing how residents and visitors perceive the city’s historical and cultural references. It also signals shifting political and cultural priorities in West Bengal, with potential broader implications for how public spaces are named across India.
Read the original report — The Hindu
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