Naming fad

Changing names of cities remains an act of political fabrication

Allahabad, Bombay, Calcutta. The ABC of change of names is all pervasive. To adjust to the change, one would need to opt for other easy-on-tongue handy names for cities. Many more cities seem to be in the queue, to make the gullible believe that renaming will turn things around, transforming the present dirty cities into future smart enclaves. Whether or not that happens, the name-changing game remains an act of political fabrication with revisionism being pushed to erase history of inconvenience.

Shakespeare’s assertion that a rose will smell the same even if named otherwise makes sense but not when political undertones reflect a sinister design. That said, names carry the legacy that provides continuity to the existence of people and places. Further, names provide a sense of belongingness for those who inhabit the place, with a sense of purpose and a reason for the place to be. Such is its psychic impact that people nurse pre-Partition memories by naming their present dwellings as Kohat Enclaves, Multan Nagars and the like. There is an innate connection that aligns the soul of the place with the identity of its people.

No surprise that even after half a century of living in Delhi, I continue to register my identity with my ancestral village. It gives me a continuity of existence. Though it may not define the nature of my being, the cultural lineage to the place remains valuable nonetheless. Social scientists suggest that a place is neither just a site, nor people, politics or culture, but a chemistry of all these and much more. However, rarely if ever does the process of renaming captures nuances of names and their meanings. No wonder, the terrain of placenism has remained a never-ending phenomenon revolving around political influence.

I reckon that in names are embedded an array of emotions. Despite the politics of the time laying ugly claims over the names, what lies immersed in the collective psyche cannot be held back from the people for long. Despite its name being changed to Rupnagar some four decades ago, people of this town in Punjab have held onto its earlier name — Ropar. So seems true for Mumbai and Chennai, where collective memory has conveniently prevailed over the enforced identity.

Name brings forth a city through memory, through what is, what was, and its people who leave and return. However, renaming seems to curb that desire and restrict freedom. Prayagraj is a case in point. Meaning the confluence of two rivers, the term prayag lay subsumed within Allahabad. By renaming the iconic city as Prayagraj, the geography of the place has been given prominence over its history. Need it be said that the new name Prayagraj will need lots of feeding, vacuuming, washing, and tuning to remain relevant because it has always been a part of the vast expanse of the socio-cultural landscape called Allahabad.

Unless renaming means transformation, one would continue to ask, what’s in a name, after all?

sudhirendarsharma@gmail.com