West Bengal forms committee to review road renaming

The West Bengal government has established a state-level committee to review the naming and renaming of roads and various locations across the state, including Kolkata. Kartik Maharaj, a Padma Shri recipient, has been appointed as the chairman of this committee.

The committee aims to prioritize Indian culture, Bengali history, the freedom struggle, and the contributions of figures significant to the region's social and spiritual life. Proposed names include freedom fighters such as Prafulla Chaki, Ullaskar Dutt, and Rash Behari Bose, as well as spiritual figures like Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Swami Vivekananda, and Swami Pranavananda.

In addition to honoring local and national figures, the committee will review existing foreign and colonial names. Discussions have been noted regarding the review of names like Lenin Sarani and Karl Marx Sarani. The committee will operate from a permanent office in Kolkata, where it will accept applications and suggestions from the public. Final recommendations will be submitted to the State Assembly for approval. Maharaj emphasized that decisions will not be made by a single individual but through consultation with experts, including historians, educators, and religious scholars, to ensure a non-political approach.