The regulars at Madras Musings are having a field day discussing the latest name change announcements of the government. Is it necessary, ask many. Some argue that it is all an eyewash with no change at ground level as far as attitudes to caste are concerned. I subscribe to that theory and believe that even the removal of caste suffixes in the 1980s served only to erase history. B. Narasimham, in my view, is not the same person as B.N. Reddy.
But it was Ramesh C. Kumar who sent in what would be a prize-winning response. What is the purpose in renaming streets he asked, when even existing street names cannot be printed properly on signboards by the Chennai Corporation? He cites Rajachar Street in T. Nagar as an example. It is spelt in three different ways on the signboards of the Corporation at three intersections he writes – Rajachar, Rajachari and worst of all, Raja Sir.
