Kolkata Roads Named After Marx, Lenin, Ho Chi Minh May Be Renamed
A West Bengal government committee is considering renaming several Kolkata roads currently named after communist figures like Lenin, Marx, and Ho Chi Minh. The proposal, led by BJP members, suggests replacing these with names of Indian poets, mathematicians, and civil rights leaders.
Why it matters
This move reflects the ongoing cultural and political shift in India as the ruling party seeks to rebrand public spaces to align with nationalist historical narratives.
A committee set up by West Bengal's BJP government is mulling proposals to rename several roads, bridges and public places in the state, including three prominent Kolkata thoroughfares named after communist leaders Vladimir Lenin, Karl Marx and Ho Chi Minh.The 10-member panel, headed by Swami Pradiptananda, popularly known as Kartik Maharaj of Bharat Sevashram Sangha, is expected to hold its first meeting after Durga Puja, when proposals for renaming roads in Kolkata are likely to be taken up, a senior member of the advisory committee said on Monday.The three roads under consideration are Lenin Sarani, Karl Marx Sarani and Ho Chi Minh Sarani."No decision has been taken yet, and the recommendations will be made after the Durga Puja in October," committee member and senior BJP leader Tathagata Roy told PTI.Roy said he had suggested that Karl Marx Sarani in Kidderpore be renamed after Bengali poets Michael Madhusudan Dutt or Rangalal…
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