To rename or not to rename

It was roughly a year ago when authorities went on a renaming spree demanding to rename several important landmarks in the city with the intention of wiping out any traces of colonialism in the city. With elaborate plans of renaming several railway stations having English names, political parties made it their agenda of the year to give nationalism a space to foster lest these English names pose a hindrance to the same. An unrelated case, but not so different altogether is as of yesterday, the BJP requested the Shiv Sena-ruled Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation to rename the Dindoshi fire station after former RSS chief Balasaheb Deoras. The BMC, however, politely declined explaining that in cases of an emergency, it will become difficult to coordinate if a fire station is named after a human being. While that is a completely valid point of reasoning, why the need to rename at all?

Cultural theorist and poet Ranjit Hoskote says that it is because renaming stations and roads is the simplest things to change. “Politicians find it too difficult to change anything else such as the conditions of oppression and lack under which people live. So they find it much simpler to change the name of the streets, stations, neighbourhood and cities. It saves them a lot of trouble,” he says.

Anil Dharker

Drawing parallels with the past, Anil Dharker, director of a literature festival from the city, says BJP is not the only political party to expect, and demand, such kind of change. “In the past, even Shiv Sena and Congress have done it,” he recalls, adding that BJP’s demands, however, are the worst of the lot. Regardless of the motive behind this, renaming important landmarks like these is wrong, he says. Elaborating on why he thinks it isn’t right, the writer points out that the concept of hero worship is very prevalent in India and isn’t something to abide by. “We glorify individuals far too much. Every city has a Mahatma Gandhi Road or a Jawaharlal Nehru road — why?” he questions.

Anil believes that renaming is an attempt to wipe out or modify history. “They changed Aurangzeb Road in Delhi to Abdul Kalam Road. While there is no arguing that Kalam is an exceptional man, was there need to change the name?”

Ranjit Hoskote

Ranjit points out that even if the name of a place is changed, it won’t be reflected with the citizens. “It is very unusual for new names to really work their way into the public imagination. Most people simply remember the old names since those are authentically a part of their lived experience,” he explains.

Anil concurs. “How many people know Flora Fountain as Hindmata Chawk? Even the young generation, who have nothing to do with colonial history don’t call it Hutatma Chowk! Names of places have to be a part of people’s memory and vocabulary, an experience they have lived,” he explains.

There are solutions to these. Anil says that if at all renaming is necessary, look at the appropriateness of the new name. “Was Balasaheb Deoras a great firefighter? Does it warranty renaming a firestation after him?”

Comedian Cyrus Broacha, on the other hand, thinks numbering them will put all political parties at ease. “Start from the north and name them one, two, three, four and so on, all the way down to the south. Then we won’t have anyone arguing about names and we’ll have politicians do real work,” he concludes.