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Kolkata’s Lenin, Marx and Ho Chi Minh Roads May Be Renamed
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Proposed Renaming of Kolkata’s Left-Era Road Names
A 10-member advisory committee appointed by the West Bengal government is reviewing proposals to change the names of three prominent Kolkata thoroughfares—Lenin Sarani, Karl Marx Sarani and Ho Chi Minh Sarani. The panel’s recommendations will be forwarded to the state assembly before any official change is made.
Historical Context of the Streets
Lenin Sarani was created in 1970 during celebrations of Vladimir Lenin’s birth centenary, replacing the former Dharmatala Street. The following year, Circular Garden Reach Road was renamed Karl Marx Sarani. Ho Chi Minh Sarani, originally named after British colonial administrator John Herbert Harrington, later received its current name to honor the Vietnamese leader. All three names reflect Kolkata’s Left-era heritage.
Committee Review and Suggested New Names
The committee, headed by Swami Pradiptananda (also known as Kartik Maharaj), includes former Meghalaya governor Tathagata Roy, chief minister’s adviser Subrata Gupta and Kolkata Municipal Corporation commissioner Smita Pandey. After the Durga Puja festival, the panel is expected to hold its first meeting to assess the relevance of the existing names to Indian and Bengali culture.
Tathagata Roy has proposed renaming Lenin Sarani after Debaprasad Ghosh, a former all-India president of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh. For Karl Marx Sarani in Kidderpore, he suggested honoring Bengali poets Michael Madhusudan Dutt or Rangalal Bandyopadhyay, whose residences lie in the area. Roy also recommended that Ho Chi Minh Sarani be renamed after American civil-rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., and that a major city road be named after nationalist leader Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. Additionally, he called for the removal of the Lenin statue at the junction of Jawaharlal Nehru Road and Sidho Kanho Dahar.
Official Positions and Responses
Swami Pradiptananda indicated that the panel will evaluate each personality’s relevance to local heritage before any renaming. A Kolkata Municipal Corporation official confirmed that no decision has been taken yet and that any changes will depend on the committee’s recommendations.
Anticipated Next Steps
Following its initial meeting, the committee will compile its findings and submit a report to the state assembly. The assembly will then consider the proposals, determining whether the three roads—and potentially other public places—will receive new names.