Cunningham Road, Bowring Hosp: Bangalore Central MP wants British-era names changed

BJP Member of Parliament from Bangalore Central PC Mohan now wants all government institutions and public spaces in his constituency to be renamed. The MP, who wrote to Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Tuesday, January 25, requested him to change the names of these places to those of freedom fighters from Karnataka.

He said that the Union government announced the ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ to celebrate India’s 75th Independence Day, which began on March 21, 2021 and will end on August 15, 2023. He added that however, government institutions and public spaces in Bangalore Central constituency are known by their British-era names. He gave the example of Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital in Shivajinagar, Minto Hospital in Chamarajapete after then Viceroy Lord Minto, and Victoria Hospital after Queen Victoria. Avenue Road, Lavelle Road, Cunningham Road, and many more prominent streets carry British-era names, he said.

Lavelle Road was named after Irish soldier Michael F Lavelle, who had rediscovered Kolar’s gold mines and applied for a licence to carry out mining operations. When he didn’t earn hefty returns on his investment, he sold his company to the Kolar Concessionaires Soft Corporation and Arbuthnot Company of Madras in 1877. Cunningham Road was named after a Madras Army officer Francis Cunningam, who was a literary editor and a member of the Mysore Commission.

“India was a more prosperous and civilized nation before the arrival of the British. History falsely preached to us that the British taught Indians the idea of civilization. It's a false narrative. The British did not intend to teach Indians anything at all. They plundered our wealth and filled their exchequer for over three hundred and fifty years,” his letter said. He added that this “divide-and-rule British game” ruined India’s wealth, culture and self-esteem.

“Many kings, queens, and brave hearts from Karnataka waged war against the oppressive and exploitative British rule. India's struggle for freedom is inspiring. Thousands of patriots have spent their entire lives fighting for this country. Countless sacrifices have been made to liberate the country from the clutches of British rule,” he said, adding that it is “collective responsibility” to commemorate freedom fighters.