Why a road’s name is changed: History, process and growing demand

Pic Courtesy: Pixabay image used for representational use only

The ‘Ghatiya Azam Khan Road’ in Agra was on Sunday formally renamed ‘Shri Ashok Singhal Marg’, after former Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Ashok Singhal.

Agra mayor Naveen Jain, who was the chief guest at the occasion, said, "It is part of the process to change the names of places that are reminiscent of periods of slavery and it will continue."

Earlier on November 26, Agra’s Mughal Road was rechristened as Maharaja Agrasen Marg.

But what is the process of name change of a road?

The request of changing the name of a road can be done through the municipal council responsible for the making and maintenance of any respective road. Any government agency that want the name change would place a request to the council which will eventually take the decision in a meeting.

The municipal council keeps getting request for name change on eminent personalities, national heroes and people who have achieved extraordinary feats. However, the new name shouldn’t have any adverse effect on permanent fixtures like post office and other historical landmarks.

This isn’t a new phenomenon as many big Indian cities like Kolkata and Mumbai have seen a name change. Then there are cities like Cochin and Bangalore that saw a name change in Kochi and Bengaluru.

The names of many roads constructed during the British Raj were also changed post Independence.

Historically speaking, some of the popular roads in Delhi such as Hasting Road and Wellesely Road were changed to Krishna Menon Marg and Dr Zakir Hussain Marg.

Here are some of the recent name changes that have happened in India:

--The name of Race Course Road in Delhi was changed to Lok Kalyan Marg in 2016. The Indian Prime Minister lives on this road. This decision was taken at a high-level meeting of the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) presided by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

--The name of Allahabad was changed to Prayagraj in 2018 by the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh.

--To honour BJP stalwart Kalyan Singh posthumously, the UP government had announced the renaming of one road in six districts—Lucknow, Ayodhya, Etah, Bulandshehr, Prayagraj and Aligarh—in his name.

--The Faizabad Railway Station in Uttar Pradesh has been renamed as Ayodhya Cantt Railway Station.

--Habibganj Railway Station in Madhya Pradesh has recently been renamed as Rani Kamplapati Railway Station.

--Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan, on November 26, announced the change of name of the iconic Minto Hall in Bhopal to Kushabhau Thakre Convention Centre.

--There was a huge controversy when Delhi BJP leader Vijay Goel had renamed the Babar Road to 5 August Marg in 2020.

--The name of the Pragati Maidan Metro Station was changed to the Supreme Court Metro Station in Delhi.