By Vivek Pattanayak in Bhubaneswar, October 6, 2024: What is there in a name? “Call it by whatever name rose is always rose” is the English saying.

Few years ago, initiated by late lamented Sovan Kanungo, a very well-respected civil servant of the yesteryears, son of Nityananda Kanungo, former Governor of Gujarat and also Bihar, a flurry of exchange of views took place for obliterating the name of Ravenshaw from the University known as the Ravenshaw College for more than a century and now called the Ravenshaw University under a statute.

The main thrust of the argument was that the worst famine of the 19thcentury in Odisha had taken place during the incumbencyof Ravenshaw as the Commissioner of the Odisha Division. It is alleged that due to the negligence of the colonial British administration the people of Odisha suffered immensely with more than million deaths, debilitating hunger, and despicable misery.

After a lot of hullabaloo on the topic no steam was left in the ideaas many quoted the famous Madhusudan Das, generally recognizedas the founder of the Odisha province and also Fakir Mohan Senapati,the great literary figure of Odia literature toassertthat Ravenshaw was a great admirer ofOrissa now known as Odisha,Odia language and Odia people.  It was also argued that he had brought Odia language to the forefront in the province replacing Bengali. Further, negligence, it was emphasized was notattributable to him.Now again after some years the subject has needlessly resurfaced.

Anti-colonial sentiments have emerged in all parts of world from the time the decolonization began after the end of the Second World War although with the American war of independencethe process had already begun back in the eighteenth century, even preceded in Latin America when country after country gained independence from the Spaniards. Interestingly in spite of bitterness and violence during the American war of independence the English language continues to be theofficial language of the country althoughan attempt had been made to make the German as the official language unlike “English Hatao” campaign in India.

Curiously, even in the South and Central America, the Spanish language continues with all its might, and has not been replaced by languages of Indigenous civilization of the Incas, Mayans, and Aztecs.

The American continent colonized by the Europeans was originally inhabited by the Indigenous people like Mohawks, Cree, Micmac, Innuits etc. generally called the “Red Indians” who have their own languages, distinct cultures andvaried religious faith as is the case in the Indian sub-continent. For years they were treated with neglect and relegated to the areas known as reservations. In the recent times there is growing awareness among them to assert their culture. Occasional demands for renaming of place have come up in their areas.

Montreal in Canada was known as Hochelaga by the indigenous Mohawks. The place continues to be called Montreal. In Canada particularly in Quebec there is tension between the French andthe Englishpeople leading to two referendums. Although Canada has remained intactas a country change of names of roads have taken place when there have beenoccasional tempests caused by sub-nationalism. The prestigious McGill University still retains its original name in spite of high voltage French sentiments.

In South Africa after apartheid regime came down the iconic Nelson Mandela established a Truth and Reconciliation Commission headed by Archbishop Desmond Tutu,a Nobel laureate, to ease the tension between the  races. Transition from the Apartheid to democratic society also experienced demands for change of names leading to protesters, court cases bringing in the linguists, historians, and lawyers into picture.

India as it stands as a country has its diversity in terms of language, religion, caste, creed, belief, sect and faith, and ethnicity, and more so due to long history of events. Fact remains that the sub-continent has witnessed migrations and invasions over several millennia leaving marks and imprints at various parts of the geographic entity. What is true of India is equally true of other parts of the world. Harari’s book Homo Sapiens adequately explains how human civilization has evolved. One cannot wipe out the events of the past no matter what efforts are made.

In the Indian context, the constitution, laws, customs, conventions and usages, practices also recognize these differences in various places as reflectedparticularly inthe land tenurial systems.The British rule was preceded by the Moghul,Afghans,Khilji,and Tughlukin greater part of the sub-continent, and so did dynasties of Maurya,Gupta and Kushans etc.which flourished in the vast expanse of land mass known as India.In various parts of the sub-continent there were other rulers like Kharavela under the Chedi dynasty, Yayati Kesari under Kesari dynasty, and Kapilendra deva, Purusottam Deva and Prataprudra Deva,and Narasinghadeva during whose reign the famous Sun Temple was constructed. Someeven came from other parts the geographic entity.

They have left their indelible marks in architecture, art, music, dance, and culture. It is worth reminding that the constitution also recognized the existence ofthe people of the Anglo-Indian origin who till recently were represented in the Parliament through nomination process.This reflects the mosaic of the sub-continental civilization.

In independent India, the English Hatao movement had led to the language riots in Madras, now known as Chennai when attempt was made to impose Hindi.

Absorbing all cultures giving respect to differences is the sign of civilizational growth.

Yuval Noah Harari Professor of History of the University of Jerusalem who in his book Homo Deus acknowledged how Professor Gupta of India had influenced him demonstrates the human civilization has grown over time through assimilation. Recognition of all the marks and events of history is the sign of wisdom in the age of fast changing society influenced by rapidly transcending technology.

Ruling governing dispensation any where in the world should not be preoccupied by construction of towers in the name of celebrities, changing names of institutions roads, buildings which reflect the culture of medieval times. The votaries of change of names must recognize that after few years the demand for giving another name can be raised.

The name Leningrad was replaced by St Petersburg which was also known as Petrograd. Incidentally, when the First World War started the Russian sentiment was against retaining the St. Petersburg asit sounded more German and called Petrograd to have a Russian tinge.When the Bolshevik revolution overtook Czarist rule no wonder Leningrad became its name as Stalingrad replaced the name of Tsaritsyn. However, with collapse of the Soviet Union and desalinization the name of the city changed to Volgograd.

The present world has more pressing demands like climate change, elimination of poverty and reduction of inequality, spread of education andpreservation of peace rather than changing names.