Kolkata's Suhrawardi Avenue Renamed After Gopal Mukherjee
Kokata's Suhrawardi Avenue now renamed as Gopal Mukherjee Road. Photo: Collected.
In a landmark move under West Bengal's BJP administration, Kolkata's central Suhrawardy Avenue has been renamed Gopal Mukherjee Road, commemorating the controversial "Gopal Patha," a figure closely associated with the 1946 communal violence that erupted on the eve of India's Partition in 1947.
Following the move, a fresh political debate has erupted in West Bengal, India, after the this decision was made and came to light.
While BJP supporters have hailed the move as a "historical correction," opposition parties have alleged that changing historical nameplates has become one of the BJP's key political agendas, rather than focusing on development and civic issues.
According to a notification issued by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, the longstanding Suhrawardi Avenue will henceforth be officially known as Gopal Mukherjee Road in government documents.
After the decision became public, Chief Minister Shubhendu Adhikari welcomed the initiative on social media, asserting that it is time to honor the true heroes. He also remarked that it is time to correct the errors of history.
Gopal Mukherjee alias Gopal Pantha. Collected Photo.
However, questions have begun to emerge surrounding this name change. Some historians have pointed out that the road was originally named after Sir Huseyn (Hussain) Shahid Suhrawardi, who served as the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Calcutta and played a significant role in the field of education. They argue that when evaluating a historical figure, one should consider their contributions and the context of their time, and that conflating everything with subsequent political events is not healthy for historical scholarship.
Asit Ranjan, a senior resident of Park Circus, said that changing the road's name will not solve the area's problems. He suggested that the administration should focus more on drainage, traffic congestion, and road maintenance. Meanwhile, a local businessman noted that name changes often require corrections to business documents, addresses, and various paperwork, creating additional inconvenience for ordinary people.
On the other hand, BJP supporters claim that the road has been named after Gopal Mukherjee, also known as Gopal Pantha, in recognition of his role in standing by victims during the communal riots of 1946.
BJP leaders have stated that efforts are being made to bring to the forefront those whose contributions to Bengal's history have been overlooked.
However, opposition political camps have alleged that the trend seen in recent years of changing the names of various cities and institutions across India since the BJP came to power is essentially a strategy to send political messages. According to them, in the name of reinterpreting history, certain selected names are being highlighted while others are being pushed into the background.
In 1933, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation had decided to name the new road adjacent to Kashipara Lane, from Park Circus, as Sohrawordi Avenue. According to government records, Sir Hassan Sohrawordi's residence was also located in that area. Nearly a century later, that name has now been changed.
