For the Bard, yes, but not for the residents of Carter Road, who are peeved that the famous stretch has been renamed after the late composer Naushad Ali, its most well-known resident.
Renaming the famous stretch after Naushad Ali hasn't gone down well with people
MUMBAI: A rose by any other name would still smell as sweet. For the Bard, yes, but not for the residents of Carter Road, who are peeved that the famous stretch has been renamed after the late composer Naushad Ali, its most well-known resident.
Residents are angry that the plan to rename Carter Road as Sangeet Samrat Naushad Ali Road was mooted by corporator Kavita Rodricks without consulting them. The change of name came into effect on Monday, May 5--the death anniversary of the legendary musician--after Rodricks' proposal was passed by a BMC standing committee.
The Bandra West Residents Association (BWRA)--the caretakers of the Carter Road promenade--called it an election gimmick. “Our point of view was not taken into consideration. There was a proposal once to rename Carter Road after (the late actress) Smita Patil who was not even a resident. I agree Naushad Ali was much more famous, but then does anyone call Hill Road Ramdas Naik Marg?” said Roshan Dabhoiwala, trustee, BWRA.
Calling the rechristening of roads a futile exercise, real estate agent Sunil Bajaj said: “Warden Road is now called Bhulabhai Desai Road. But it is still known popularly by its old name. By changing Carter Road's name, can one change its breathtaking view of the sea or the memories associated with it?”
Another real estate agent Quraish Khan said that people will not accept the new name of the road. “Carter Road is a landmark and people will continue using that name,” said Khan.
Carter Road was named during the Raj after a suburban collector, Carter Perry, who used to reside in a bungalow along the stretch. “Carter Perry was an important person here,” said David Cardoz, former member, Mumbai Heritage Conservation Committee. “There were two roads that converged, leading to his home. That's probably how Carter and Perry roads got their names.”
Historian Sharada Dwivedi said politicians and civic officials were “wiping out history by renaming roads” to meet their selfish ends. Instead of roads being renamed, said Cardoz, the civic authorities should do something about naming Bandra's many unchristened junctions.
“Renaming also means a change of records and thus a waste of stationery,” said Carter Road resident and conservation architect Abha Narain Lambah. “Renaming has become a national obsession with politicians. But for us, it's just exhausting.”
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