Renaming famous landmarks has become quite common in recent years as a way of erasing memories of India’s colonial past. While several states have resorted to renaming their capital cities and tourist places with traditional names over the previous English names, now even railway stations and airports are being given new titles.
CST is now Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus
The latest to make this transition is the Central Railway Station of Mumbai, which has been named the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus. While the local political party Shiv Sena had demanded that five of Mumbai’s railway stations with colonial names be renamed, as of now, official changes have only been made in Central Railway Station with new signboards and announcements in the station’s public address system. The station that was renamed in 1996 from Victoria Terminus to Chattrapati Shivaji Terminus will now have a slightly elongated name of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus.
Elphinstone Road Station is now Prabhadevi
The next railway station to receive a new name will be the Elphinstone Road Station that will be officially renamed as Prabhadevi in honour of a local deity. According to the Maharashtra Transport Minister Diwakar, the official nod from the Union Home Ministry was received last week.
Other railway stations’ renaming proposals under consideration in Maharashtra are Charni Road, Curry Road, Sandhurst, and Grant Road Station that are likely to be renamed as Girgaum, Lalbaug, Dongri, and Jagannath Shankar Seth Road, respectively.
Jagannath Shankar Seth was responsible for the growth of Mumbai’s Victoria Terminus Station, but as that station has been renamed as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, the Shiv Sena has decided to rename Grant Road Station with Seth’s name. A new railway station in Mumbai’s suburban railway system has been named as Ram Mandir.
While there have been some protests from journalists and think tanks about this development stating that it is a political gimmick, the proposal has the approval of local political parties and is likely to be implemented in its totality.