The renaming game

We get celebrities to give their take on a current issue each week and lend their perspective to a much-discussed topic. This week we talk about: The renaming game

Earlier this week the West Bengal Cabinet decided to rename the state to “Bangla” or “Bongo” in Bengali, adding one more instance to the series of name changes our country has witnessed so far. In April this year, when Gurgaon was re-christened “Gurugram”, there was quite the uproar. So far, over a 100 cities have undergone change of name since India’s independence. However, aside from the major metropolitan cities like Chennai, Kolkata and Mumbai, most of the new names — such as “Puducherry”, “Odisha”, and most recently “Bengaluru” —  have failed to catch on. Is there any real point to this renaming game?

M.G. Sasibhooshan, historian: ‘This may lead to a domino effect’

West Bengal was named so, to give it a geographical identity. If the name caused distress to people of the state in any manner, it should be changed. But in this case, we do not know if such a situation happened. The name is probably being changed to get rid of the colonial hangover, but we must remember this is a move to make political gains. A body like the National Commission should undertake such a move. Also, these decisions need to be made only after taking the greater interest of the nation into consideration. I worry that this name change may lead to a domino effect.

Purandeswari Daggubati, MP from Andhra Pradesh: ‘We are revisiting history’

West Bengal was previously referred to as “Bangla” or “Bongo”. Now they are changing it back to its original name. In a way, I think we are revisiting history and doing away with the colonial hangover. City or state names often make people sentimental since it reminds us of our roots. It was easy for me to accept Chennai and Bengaluru as revamped city names but Mumbai will always be Bombay.

Shailendra Singh, owner of Percept Ltd: ‘Current agenda should be to improve well-being of citizens’

This is a diversion from what the Bengal government promised the people of the state. What is this agenda of changing names? I think we have much important issues to focus on. The current agenda should be to improve the well-being of the citizens of the concerned city or state. I personally do not use recent names. I’d rather stick to something that is globally accepted, rather than a name with a regional twist. Are we not one world?

Vidya Gajapathi Raju Singh, Princess of Vijayanagaram and Wedding Planner: ‘Renaming cities is mere political posturing’

I’ve grown up in Chennai all my life but I have always preferred calling this city “Madras”. I think the whole process of naming and renaming cities is mere political posturing. For second-generation people who have witnessed the growth of Madras, it will always remain Madras. Renaming takes a lot of paperwork for the government. Why not spend that time on something that can help the city? There is a lot of history attached with each of the names. I think we need to preserve it.

Sukanya Venkatraghavan, author: ‘There are bigger problems to focus on’

I don’t think renaming cities or states is necessary at all. The government has bigger problems to focus on. Yes, the British have left these names behind but why is it an issue? For instance, there’s one heavy spell of rainfall in the city and the potholes open up. This causes so much inconvenience to everybody. Personally, I don’t find myself using these new names. For me, Bangalore will always be Bangalore and Mumbai will always be Bombay. These places evoke a sense of nostalgia in my head that cannot be replaced.

Arko Pravo Mukherjee, Music Director, Lyricist: ‘Colonial hangover is not a pressing issue’

I don’t think it is necessary to change names of a city or state because that’s like taking away the soul from a place. Names have characters, historical relevance, and they often represent the culture of the place. I do not see why colonial hangover is a pressing issue in today’s political and social circumstances. I have never used new names for any of the cities that have been renamed. I still refer to Kolkata as “Calcutta” since it evokes so many memories for me. It’s like calling a person in his mid 40s by a different name.