MUMBAI, JULY 21: The easiest and quickest road to immortality in Mumbai is to have a road renamed after you, never mind the dust and debris these rechristened streets sometimes throw up. But with the political tumult over the renaming of `C' Road at Churchgate subsiding, now the aftermath.Using simplicity and symmerty as their battle-cry, residents are angry with the civic authorities for the change in nomenclature from the simple third letter of the alphabet to that of the late Congressman P M Shukla.``This haphazard renaming defies logic. There is no method in it, only madness. Our lane is part of a systematic larger plan of four parallel roads `A', `B', `C' and `D', at Churchgate,'' says Kapil Kapoor, member of the `C' Road Residents Group. Two others supporting the cause, Bilasrai Goyal and Meena Mutha, say they will even take the matter to court if the situation so demands.``We respect the late P M Shukla, but he wasn't even a resident of `C' Road. He lived on `D' road, smirks Kapoor. ``Not thatthis is the bone of contention. What we are questioning is disturbing such a systematic plan. Should we change our nursery rhymes to `A for apple, B for baby and C for Shukla?'' he asks.An equally disdainful Mutha adds: ``The only feature to have grabbed attention is the political controversy attached to the renaming, that is Murli Deora and others who were pulled up by the city collector for violation of the election code of conduct. No one, not even senior BMC officials, have bothered to think twice about how such a change would affect the public.''`C' Road residents have also found empathy from the `A' Road Residents Association - they too have been victims of the renaming bug. ``Two years ago, `A' Road was quietly renamed as Sitaram Devra Marg. We, however, still continue to call it `A' Road for convenience. Instead of inviting confusion, why can't the government concentrate on removing illegal hawkers and encroachments in our locality,'' ponders Advocate Manjula Rao, an `A' resident, musingon a matter that is equally futile in a city long-since dubbed `Slumbay'.Convenor of the `A' Road Residents Association, Ashok Rao, adds: ``In advanced countries, the establishment never tampers with serialised roads. If Chief Minister Narayan Rane really wants to make Mumbai like Singapore within a decade, then he had better start from here.''`A' Road's most famous resident, Municipal Commissioner K Nalinakshan, however, reserves comment. Asked for his personal opinion, Nalinakshan sought refuse in caution. He said: ``Since I am also the municipal commissioner, I cannot comment on the issue as an individual. But, I shall look into the BMC rules again if the residents insist.''One of the most raging road controversies took place a few years ago when a proposal to rename a road after slain gangster Kim Bahadur Thapa was placed before the BMC's General Body meeting. Finally, better sense prevailed, and the proposal was nixed.Similarly, when residents of Bora Bazaar Road, near Victoria Terminus-itself renamed as Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus - fought against a proposal to rechristen their road after a Jain spiritual leader, the BMC had no choice but to turn tail.Peddar Road is now called Dr Gopalrao Deshmukh Marg. No controversy here, but people still refer to it as Peddar Road. Pali Hill Road at Bandra has been renamed after actress Nargis Dutt. But the mail still reads: `Pali Hill Rd'. Altamount Road's new name is. hold your breath, Salebhai Karimji Barodawala Marg. No prizes for guessing what the man of the street still calls it.But if civic officials are tempeted to ask `what's in a name', `C' Road residents say they will soon have their reply researched and ready. They say their mail to the civic legal department will read: `See you in court'.Street RulesAs per the BMC resolution number 709, dated October 16 (1975), roads that have already been serialised, especially in Town Planning and Improvement Schemes, should NOT be changed. However, on February 18 (1993), anotherresolution (number 1330) was passed, stating: ``Roads either numbered arithmetically or alphabetically under government schemes can be named with the consent of the government. However, on the name board the name, along with the existing aforesaid number or alphabet shall be displayed.''But the recently renamed `A' Road does NOT display the letter A along with the new, elongated name, point the residents.
