One of Kolkata’s well-known roads, Suhrawardy Avenue, has been officially renamed as Gopal Mukherjee Road, triggering political and historical debate in West Bengal.
The road, located in the Park Circus area of Kolkata, had carried the Suhrawardy name for decades. The decision by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation has been described by the state government as a “historic step.”
State Government Calls It ‘Justice to History’
Reacting to the renaming, West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said the move was not just about changing a road’s name but about correcting historical wrongs.
“This change is not limited to just renaming a road, but an attempt to do justice to history,” he said.
He further alleged that for decades the road carried the name of a person linked to political misuse of power and accused of involvement in violence against civilians.
Without directly naming him, Adhikari referred to Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy, a controversial political figure often linked to the 1946 Direct Action Day riots.
The Chief Minister said, “West Bengal should honour its real heroes and correct the mistakes of history.”
Historical Debate Over the Name
The renaming has revived an old debate about whom the road was actually named after.
According to historical records, the road was originally named after Sir Hasan Suhrawardy, a respected doctor, educationist, and the first Muslim Vice-Chancellor of University of Calcutta.
The road was developed by the then Calcutta Improvement Trust and officially named in 1933 following a resolution by the Calcutta Municipal Corporation.
Historical records show that on March 8, 1933, the civic body approved the naming of the 100-feet-wide road connecting Park Circus to Kasaipara Lane. The official naming took place on April 20, 1933.
Why the Controversy?
Over time, many people began associating the road not with Sir Hasan Suhrawardy, but with Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy, who served as Bengal’s Prime Minister before Partition.
His role during the Direct Action Day and the communal violence that followed remains controversial, leading to repeated demands over the years to rename the road.
Supporters of the new name argue that Gopal Mukherjee was a local hero who protected innocent lives during communal unrest.
Critics, however, say the renaming may overlook the legacy of Sir Hasan Suhrawardy, whose contributions to education and medicine were significant and unrelated to the political controversies surrounding Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy.
