Now, Kolkata’s Lenin, Karl Marx, Ho Chi Minh Saranis are in renaming queue

Months after Kolkata’s Suhrawardy Avenue in the city’s heart was renamed, fresh speculation has emerged about a possible initiative to rename several other roads in the West Bengal capital. According to sources, proposals to rename several other roads, including Lenin Sarani, Karl Marx Sarani and Ho Chi Minh Sarani, may be sent to the Bengal Assembly.

Sources said Lenin Sarani could be named after Debaprasad Ghosh, the former all-India president of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh. Ghosh succeeded Syama Prasad Mukherjee as the party’s all-India president. A proposal has reportedly been made to name Lenin Sarani after him.

There is also consideration of changing the name of Karl Marx Sarani. The names of writers Rangalal Bandopadhyay and Michael Madhusudan Dutta are reportedly being discussed as possible alternatives. Meanwhile, sources also said there may also be a proposal to rename Ho Chi Minh Sarani after Martin Luther King Jr, the prominent leader of the American civil rights movement.

A 10-member committee set up by the state government, under Bharat Sevashram Sangha's Swami Pradiptananda, also known as Kartik Maharaj, is examining proposals to rename several roads, bridges, and public places in the state.

This committee is discussing the current names of various roads, their historical context, and possible new names. "We got many proposals for changing the names of roads in Kolkata, including roads named after Karl Marx Sarani, Lenin Sarani, and Ho Chi Minh Sarani.

We are considering those proposals. The panel would consider the relevance of the personalities after whom roads have been named in the context of Indian and Bengali heritage and culture,” said Swami Pradiptananda, also known as Kartik Maharaj.

"The committee will hold its first meeting after Durga Puja, and after that we will send proposals to the Assembly to consider," he added. According to Tathagata Roy, a committee member and BJP leader, they have discussed several names at the preliminary stage.

“Only after the proposal is discussed and approved by the committee will it be sent finally to the state government. So for now, these are being viewed only as possible proposals for renaming,” Roy said. Lenin Sarani was formerly known as Dharmatala Street and was renamed in 1970 to mark the centenary of Russian revolutionary Vladimir Lenin’s birth.

The following year, Circular Garden Reach Road was renamed Karl Marx Sarani after the German philosopher. Ho Chi Minh Sarani was originally named Harrington Street, after John Herbert Harrington, a British colonial administrator and orientalist who served in Bengal.

In 1970, during the Vietnam War, the Left-led government in Bengal renamed the road in honour of the Vietnamese leader. Discussions are also underway regarding renaming several other important roads in Kolkata. According to sources, the historic Strand Road and Mayo Road may be named after Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

However, these proposals have not yet been finalised, and the advisory committee will take the next decision only after deliberations, they added. In June, Suhrawardy Avenue was renamed Gopal Mukherjee Road, after “Gopal Patha”, a polarising figure associated with the 1946 communal riots preceding Partition, following which the Opposition raised questions over the decision.

Opposition leaders had said the BJP government was “overlooking historical facts”. At that time, Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said he was not in favour of naming roads in Kolkata after Mughals, Pathans, or oppressive British rulers.

Adhikari also said that if anyone proposed the name of a true patriot, it would be considered. However, he mentioned an exception for historical figures such as Sister Nivedita. Atri Mitra is a highly accomplished Special Correspondent for The Indian Express, bringing over 20 years of experience to his reporting.

His work is characterized by deep regional knowledge and a focus on critical administrative and political developments, establishing strong Expertise and Authority in his domain. Experience Current Role: Special Correspondent, The Indian Express.

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