Kolkata Could Rename Streets Honouring Marx, Lenin And Ho Chi Minh Amid Growing Political Debate

A committee constituted by the West Bengal government is considering proposals to rename several roads, bridges and public places across the state, including three prominent thoroughfares in Kolkata named after communist leaders Vladimir Lenin, Karl Marx and Ho Chi Minh. The roads under consideration are Lenin Sarani, Karl Marx Sarani and Ho Chi Minh Sarani. The proposed review of these names is part of a broader exercise to examine suggestions for renaming public places in the state. However, no final decision has been taken on any of the proposed changes so far. The 10-member panel is headed by Swami Pradiptananda, popularly known as Kartik Maharaj of the Bharat Sevashram Sangha.

According to a senior member of the advisory committee, the panel is expected to hold its first meeting after the Durga Puja festivities in October. Proposals related to the renaming of roads in Kolkata are likely to be discussed at that meeting. The committee will consider the suggestions before making recommendations, meaning that the names of the three roads could change only after the deliberative process is completed and the government takes a decision. Senior BJP leader and committee member Tathagata Roy said on Monday that there had been no decision regarding the proposed renaming.

He said the recommendations would be made after Durga Puja in October. Roy's comments indicate that the proposals currently remain under consideration and that the committee's forthcoming deliberations will play a key role in determining whether any of the suggested names are formally recommended to the state government. Roy has himself put forward alternative names for two of the roads. He suggested that Karl Marx Sarani in Kidderpore could be renamed after Bengali poets Michael Madhusudan Dutt or Rangalal Bandyopadhyay. Roy cited their association with the area while making the suggestion. The proposal would replace the existing name honouring Karl Marx, the German philosopher and political theorist whose writings had a major influence on communist and socialist movements around the world.

Also Read: Dola Sen Hints Mamata May Forgive Rebels Despite Fears Among TMC Leaders

For Lenin Sarani, Roy proposed the name of Debaprasad Ghosh, a mathematician and former president of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh. Lenin Sarani was earlier known as Dharmatala Street, and the suggestion would therefore represent a return to a name associated with a prominent figure from a different political and historical tradition. The proposal comes alongside the broader discussion over whether roads and public places named after international communist figures should continue to retain those names. The three roads have names associated with major figures in the history of communism. Vladimir Lenin was the Russian revolutionary and political leader who played a central role in the Bolshevik Revolution, while Karl Marx's political and economic writings became foundational to Marxist thought. Ho Chi Minh was the Vietnamese communist revolutionary and political leader who became a central figure in Vietnam's struggle for independence.

Their names have been used for public places in several parts of India, including Kolkata, where the Left Front governed West Bengal for more than three decades. The committee's proposed review comes in the context of the BJP-led government's broader approach to names of public institutions and places associated with earlier political eras. However, the available proposals concern recommendations rather than confirmed changes. The committee is expected to examine the suggestions following Durga Puja before submitting its recommendations. Until that process is completed, Lenin Sarani, Karl Marx Sarani and Ho Chi Minh Sarani will retain their existing names. Any eventual renaming will depend on the committee's recommendations and the state government's subsequent decision.

Also Read: Vande Mataram Row: Suvendu Adhikari Says Sonia Gandhi Must Apologise To Bengal