From Chandni Chowk to Sachin??



Remember Bombay & Madras? Of course you do. Good old Bangalore & Pondicherry? Remember Orissa? (Chances are you won’t but still I had to ask.) Now, remember West Bengal? Ah yes yes. Now in the same context remember Chandni Chowk?

Renaming cities, towns & states has become the favourite pastime of our nation. Now just changing the name to something more regional is okay. I can take Odisha & even Poschim Bongo (I can’t promise a straight face while saying it aloud though). I can even cajole my tongue to pronounce Bengaluru & Puducherry and with much practise I shall be able to say it fluently. But naming Chandni Chowk as SachinTendulkar Chowk? Marna hai kya?
Chandni Chowk 

Imagine K3G had been made after the renaming, would Kajol-SRK dialogues carry the same lovey-dovey feeling with Sachin Tendulkar Chowk thrown in? What would that Akshay Kumar movie be named? Sachin Tendulkar Chowk to China? 

Now look am not anti-Sachin or anything. I can patiently wait for the man to get his 100 too. Trying to give him a Bharat Ratna is one thing & naming the famous Chowk after him is preposterous (ah finally a chance to use that word)! It gives me an uncanny feeling that India is walking backwards. Remember how they used to name roads & lanes after famous British colonels? The scarier the man, the more assured was the christening of a road after him. First they stuck with the caste thingy even after 60+ years of independence (last heard Lokpal bill too allowed reservations) & now they have started naming places after cricket players.

Cricket is a game (see I didn’t use the word just or bring up the ongoing test match where the Aussies are making mince-meat of us) & Sachin is a star player of the Indian team. Yes you are a huge…HUGE fan of him. Yes I see what you meant to do-encourage the good man & tell him that all is not lost & he still is a favourite of all Indians. So go send a petition to name a stadium or a trophy after him if you will. But please leave the Chowk alone people! As if defacing historical monuments wasn’t enough they are now hell-bent on renaming a world heritage site-preposterous I tell you. I bet many won’t even know why it’s called Chandni Chowk in the first place! (I didn’t know either...hail Wikipedia :P )

Thank God for people with sense like Justice Katju!


P.S: Incidentally I came across this interesting fact: Chandni Chowk was originally called Shahjanabad after the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan who’d established it.

Comments

Shail said…
Thanks to your post now I went off to check Wiki and now know why the chowk is Chandni Chowk :)

I don't understand the need for renaming. But it takes all sorts I guess. Funny thinking of a movie called Sachin Tendultar Chowk to China :P
Rinaya said…
Sachin fans wanted to honour him it seems..hence they petitioned...Why can't they name their own houses after him like Sachin Villa or something... :P
No matter how poor we perform at test matches Sachin is the God for some.. (hope Rajnikanth isn't listening :P )
Sunil Deepak said…
Historically, Shahzahanabad is (was) the whole area, while Chandni Chowk was the name of that particular street. I agree completely that renaming streets and places is terrible and I hope that better sense will prevail.
Shail said…
Rinaya, I like your suggestion that they name their own houses. That would be perfect :P That's what true fans should do ;)
Alka Gurha said…
This re-naming business is a political gimmick which yields no results and yet pollies indulge in it. Why bring poor Sachin in it? Sachin has a place in the heart of his fans. He does not need any Padma awards or roads named after him.
Very well articulated post.
Madhusha said…
That's a lot of information with a lot of humour in it .I didnt know it was previously known as Shahazahanbad..

'Sachin tendulkar chowk to china' :D :D :D

And yeah! What a pathetic idea.They must have lost their minds to come up with something as 'preposterous' :) as this. No offense to the fans, but this is going overboard (eye rolls)
Prateek Bagri said…
Chandni Chowk is one the few place in Delhi which gives the aroma of history. I love hanging out there when I am in a group mostly because of food.
Renaming any street there will jeopardize the name attached to it.
I do not support this noble cause and I suppose those who have been there will second the thoughts.
Rinaya said…
@Sunil : welcome to WT & thanks for the correction.. :)
Thanks for drooping by Alka & Madhusha :) Well we shouldn't totally blame politicians for this, some Sachin fans are a bit fanatical :P
@Prateek: Never been to Chandni Chowk myself though I did spend 3 years of my life in Karol Bagh ...the first 3 years of my life actually :P But no one can deny the old world charm attached to that place & renaming it will never happen..!
Sadiya Merchant said…
wel it cud hav been worse. wid all d over-enthu ppl around, dey mite jus as wel hav renamed the Taj as sachin tendulkar. dis stil is chandni chowk!
Travelligence said…
If you walk into Chandni Chowk, its one kinda place.. remember Dilli 6.... its a place where people joslte for space, sweat it out everyday. Its also got a lot of History attached to it.
I can understand naming Cricket Stadium in his name.... but Fans. R fans, I tell you. Devoid of logic.
Hope better sense previals.
Rinaya said…
LOL Sadiya..it won't be preposterous then but a catastrophic event! :P
@Travelligence: we all hope so!
xyzandme said…
sachin tendulkar chowk to china ... hahahahahaha!!!
KK said…
Sachin Tendulkar may score century of centuries but his inability to win matches for India a blot on his career.

Sachin is the most overrated over-hyped cricketer in the world.
Giribala said…
LOL! The movie would be named STC to China!
didnt know such a petition even existed... wow !! we really are nuts. Hmmm... wonder who I should call to get a Sreeshanth Nagar created...
Rinaya said…
@Roushan: welcome to my blog :) and well no idea about Streesanth...am looking for one for Dravid myself :P
Raja said…
what is chowk ?

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