A city square and two roads in Ranchi will soon have legendary names.
While Siromtoli Chowk in Chutia will be renamed after hockey Olympian-turned-statesman Jaipal Singh Munda, the kilometre-long Club Road near Gossner College will borrow the glory from N.E. Horo, one of the stalwarts of the Jharkhand statehood movement. The 2km stretch connecting Sahajanand Chowk in Harmu to Bharat Kitchen Bhandar in Kadru will be renamed after Maithili poet Vidyapati.
Mayor Asha Lakra said a notification was published in this regard in local newspapers on Thursday. The notification also asks people to come forward if they have any objection to the new names.
"The decision to rename roads and chowks was taken at a board meeting of the Ranchi Municipal Corporation (RMC) four months ago. The purpose is to remember and honour these eminent people," Lakra said.
Tribal Advisory Council member Ratan Tirkey welcomed the decision. "Jaipal Singh Munda and N.E. Horo are role models for tribals in the state," Tirkey said.
"Jaipal Singh is popularly known as 'Marang Gomke', which means a great leader. He was good both in sports and as a statesman. He had captained the Indian field hockey team to clinch gold medal in 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam. He was a member of the constituent assembly and campaigned for the rights of the tribal people."
Tirkey said Horo was also a great tribal leader and Vidyapati a famous poet who wrote on nature.
"Renaming roads after such distinguished public figures is a great decision," Tirkey added.
Residents too welcomed the move, but stressed on the need for road maintenance as well.
"After naming roads and roundabouts, civic guardians forget all about upkeep. This is not fair. Roads and roundabouts named after legends should be maintained in the same way any religious place is maintained. Without this, renaming is nothing, but a gimmick," said Rajesh Kumar Gupta, a resident of Vidya Nagar.
Arun Sahu, a resident of Argora, agreed. He said if roads were not maintained properly, it would be like disrespecting iconic tribal leaders. "Recently, a picture of an ill-maintained Albert Ekka Chowk was published. It shows the kind of respect our authorities have for the likes of a Paramveer Chakra winner," Sahu added.
