KOLKATA: In a move that could significantly alter the cultural and political map of West Bengal's capital, the state government has initiated a review of proposals to rename several iconic public thoroughfares and landmarks. Under active consideration are prominent Kolkata roads historically named after global communist icons—namely Lenin Sarani, Karl Marx Sarani, and Ho Chi Minh Sarani.

A newly formed 10-member high-level committee, headed by Swami Pradiptananda (widely known as Kartik Maharaj of Bharat Sevashram), has been entrusted with examining naming and renaming requests across the state. According to officials from the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), the panel is expected to convene for its formal deliberations following the upcoming Durga Puja festivities.

The push to review these legacy titles has sparked widespread discussion regarding the preservation versus revision of Kolkata’s deep-rooted political heritage. Proponents of the changes, including senior political figures like BJP leader Tathagata Roy, have floated alternative names rooted in regional and national history. Suggestions include renaming Karl Marx Sarani in Kidderpore after legendary Bengali poets such as Michael Madhusudan Dutt or Rangalal Bandyopadhyay, given their deep historical ties to the area. Similarly, proposals have been raised to rechristen Ho Chi Minh Sarani in honor of American civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., and to replace Lenin Sarani with a name honoring mathematician and former political leader Debaprashad Ghosh.

Furthermore, discussions have touched upon relocating or removing certain statues tied to the same era, alongside re-evaluating infrastructure bearing colonial or foreign names to better reflect indigenous nationalist figures.

While the state-appointed committee evaluates these shifts based on public convenience, historical evidence, and geographical continuity, critics and historians have raised questions over whether altering long-established titles risks erasing specific chapters of Kolkata's unique socio-political journey. As the panel prepares for its initial sessions, the final decisions are anticipated to trigger intense debate across cultural and political spheres.