India has a lengthy history of renaming cities. Over the years, numerous towns and cities that we are familiar with have undergone name changes for a variety of reasons. Some had their names changed in recognition of national heroes or leaders, while others had their names changed to reflect the nation's shifting political and cultural landscape. But the contemporary craze to rename cities in the name of politics and religion has many people scratching their heads.
Leading this tendency has been the BJP, which is currently in control at the national level. The old name of the city, which was thought to be its original name, was used by the BJP-led government in Uttar Pradesh in 2018 to rename the historic city of Allahabad to Prayagraj. The action elicited a range of responses; some hailed it as a means of reclaiming the Hindu character of the city, while others viewed it as unneeded and polarising.
In the same way, the city of Aurangabad in Maharashtra was renamed Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar recently by the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena administration in honour of the Maratha warrior ruler Sambhaji Maharaj. The action was perceived as an effort to obliterate the memory of Aurangzeb, the Mughal emperor who had captured and killed Sambhaji Maharaj. The decision was once again met with conflicting responses; while some hailed it as a triumph for Maratha pride, others regarded it as an attempt to rewrite history.
Few other cities and locations that have recently undergone name changes or are in the process of doing so include:
- Faizabad to Ayodhya - The BJP-led government in Uttar Pradesh renamed the district of Faizabad to Ayodhya in 2018, honouring the city as the birthplace of Hindu god Lord Ram.
- Mughalsarai changed its name to Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyay Junction in 2018 in memory of the late BJP ideologue Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyay. This railway station is situated in the state of Uttar Pradesh.
- Gurgaon to Gurugram - The city of Gurgaon was renamed to Gurugram by the Haryana government, which is also dominated by the BJP, in 2016. The new name is allegedly an allusion to Guru Dronacharya, a figure from the Mahabharata epic who is thought to have lived nearby.
- Elphinstone Road station to Prabhadevi – In 2017, the BJP-led Maharashtra government changed the name of the suburban Mumbai railway station Elphinstone Road to Prabhadevi. The new name alludes to the Prabhadevi temple nearby.
- Ahmedabad to Karnavati - The BJP-led government in Gujarat has been advocating for the renaming of Ahmedabad to Karnavati, asserting that the city's original name was Karnavati before it was changed by Muslim rulers. The name change hasn't been put into effect yet due to protest from a number of groups.
But the question still stands: Is it rational to rename cities in accordance with one's political and religious beliefs? Though some might contend that it is essential to reestablish the cultural and religious identities of the cities, the truth is that these changes have little to no positive impact on the lives of the people who reside in these places. They frequently actually have the opposite effect.
Firstly, renaming cities can be an expensive affair. It involves changing the name on official documents, signages, and maps, which can cost millions of rupees. This money could be better spent on more important issues such as poverty alleviation, education, and healthcare.
Second, renaming cities can be a contentious decision that causes tensions between various communities. For individuals who identify with the previous name, it may lead to a sense of estrangement and the perception that their cultural identity is being lost.
Thirdly, the reality on the ground may not change much as a result of renaming cities. It doesn't deal with the pressing problems that these cities' residents face on a daily basis, such as injustice, poverty, unemployment, and corruption.
Our Opinion
As a result, renaming cities in the name of politics or religion may appear like a method to reclaim cultural identity, but it is really a surface-level alteration that does little to address the pressing problems that people actually face. Governments should instead concentrate on more crucial matters like reducing poverty, education, healthcare, and justice. These are the issues that genuinely matter and will affect citizens' lives long-term. Let's hope that our elected officials understand this and put the welfare of their constituents ahead of petty politics.
