Bengal panel looking at proposals for renaming Lenin, Marx and Ho Chi Minh roads in Kolkata
A 10-member committee set up by the West Bengal government is considering proposals to rename several roads, bridges and public places in the state, including three prominent Kolkata roads named after communist leaders Vladimir Lenin, Karl Marx and Ho Chi Minh.
The panel, headed by Swami Pradiptananda, popularly known as Kartik Maharaj of Bharat Sevashram, is expected to hold its first meeting after Durga Puja.
Senior committee member Tathagata Roy said proposals related to roads in Kolkata are likely to be taken up then. “No decision has been taken yet, and the recommendations will be made after the Durga Puja in October,” Roy told PTI.
The three roads under consideration are Lenin Sarani, Karl Marx Sarani and Ho Chi Minh Sarani. Roy said he had suggested that Karl Marx Sarani in Kidderpore be renamed after Bengali poets Michael Madhusudan Dutt or Rangalal Bandyopadhyay, citing their association with the area.
He also proposed renaming Lenin Sarani, earlier known as Dharmatala Street, after mathematician and former Bharatiya Jana Sangh president Debaprasad Ghosh.
“All these are recommendatory to be submitted after the Pujas and for final decision by KMC,” Roy said. Asked whether the Lenin statue at the Esplanade crossing would be removed, he said, “If there is a suggestion in this regard, I hope the board will think accordingly.” For Ho Chi Minh Sarani, Roy proposed the name of American civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.
Roy also suggested that some places bearing the names of Muslim figures be renamed after personalities whom he described as “nationalist Muslims”. He proposed, among others, the names of writer Qazi Abdul Wadud, educationist Begum Rokeya and author S Wajed Ali as alternatives for the Titumir-named bus stand in Barasat. He also said he had suggested to the railway authorities that certain stations on the Tollygunge-Garia stretch of the Blue Line be renamed after the respective places instead of personalities to help commuters and local residents. Roy further called for naming an important city road after Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
Besides Roy, a former Meghalaya governor and BJP ideologue, the committee includes Chief Minister’s adviser Subrata Gupta and Kolkata Municipal Corporation Commissioner Smita Pandey, among others. Roy said the committee’s recommendations would later be sent to the state Assembly. Overall, the panel is set to examine a range of renaming proposals after Durga Puja, with no final decision taken so far.- EndsPublished By: India Today Web Desk Published On: Sep 14, 2026 18:32 IST
