Govt gives ‘nod’ to rename eight stations in Mumbai

City chronicler Bharat Gothoskar, however, said not all names had colonial connections, and one name is in fact derived from a Marathi word for ‘grazing land’

Shiv Sena MP Rahul Shewale on Tuesday claimed that the Maharashtra government has given in-principle approval to his proposal to change the British-era names of eight local railway stations in Mumbai. The proposal will now be sent to the Union government after it receives the state cabinet’s nod, said the MP from Mumbai South-Central constituency in a release. City chronicler Bharat Gothoskar, however, said not all names had colonial connections, and one name is in fact derived from a Marathi word for ‘grazing land’.

Shewale demanded that Currey Road, Sandhurst Road, Cotton Green, Dockyard Road and Kings Circle stations on the Central Railway network be renamed as Lalbaug, Dongari, Kalachowki, Mazgaon and Tirthkar Parshwanath stations, respectively. Marine Lines, Charni Road and Mumbai Central on the Western Railway’s network be renamed as Mumbadevi, Girgaon and Nana Jagannath Shankarsheth stations, he said. The state government has already sent a proposal to rename Mumbai Central station as Nana Jagannath Shankarsheth station to the Centre.

But Bharat Gothoskar, founder of the Khaki Heritage Foundation, said names of railway stations, roads or intersections should not be changed as they have history attached to them. Some of the names, like Charni Road and Marine Lines, do not have any colonial connection, he said. “Charni Road is named for a grazing ground for cattle (‘charani’ in Marathi). So the name change does not make sense. Marine Lines is named after the barracks near Dhobi Talao. Both do not have any colonial connotation. On the other hand, stations named after British governors, Grand Road and Reay Road, have been spared,” Gothoskar added.

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