Agartala, Nov. 22: The Victoria Memorial Hospital, later renamed the Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital, celebrated its centenary recently, which stands not only as a reminder of the bygone era but also as a witness of the politics of nomenclature.

The celebration began with speeches by chief minister Manik Sarkar and health minister Tapan Chakraborty, followed by a colourful procession of doctors, nurses, NGO activists and students.

But the souvenir published on the occasion of centenary celebration had interesting historical anecdotes about the construction of the hospital.

According to historian Dr Kanailal Chakraborty, since 1785 Tripura had been a subsidiary ally of the British government without any liability for payment of annual tax. However, the Maharaja?s Zamindari Chakla Roshanabad, were under British administration and judiciary.

In the exclusive royal domain of hill Tripura (present state), the British would exercise indirect control by deciding succession, internal policies and also by judicial intervention.

In May 1873, a small hospital with 30 beds, was established by King Bir Chandra Manikya.

In early 1900, the British government mooted the idea of building grand memorials in the name of Queen Victoria in different parts of the country with donations from princely rulers.

The then monarch of Tripura, Radhakishore Manikya, got wind that he would have to part with a hefty sum of Rs 1 lakh.

To avoid the raid on his exchequer, Radhakishore renovated the hospital, increasing the number of beds to 54 for general patients and 10 for patients with contagious diseases and named it after the Victoria Memorial Hospital. The name was inscribed on the top of the main building and it was inaugurated by the then British lieutenant governor of Bengal Sir John Woodburn who visited Agartala in 1904. When the British government asked Radhakishore for donation, he pointed out that he had already named the hospital after the Queen.

The Victoria Memorial Hospital, the largest hospital for women and children in Tripura now, with more than 300 beds, was renamed as Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital in 1990 by the Congress-TUJS coalition government.

The naming and renaming has been criticised by numismatist Jawharlal Acharjee.

?Anyone with respect for history will criticise this, what is wrong in retaining the original names?? asked Acharjee.