‘WHAT IS in a name? ‘- Shakespeare would not have written this line if he had West Bengal in his mind. Today everyone in West Bengal is engaged in mooting  the change of the nomenclature of the state. Why is the name to be changed? Simply, because in Mamata Banerjee’s rule, change is the big mantra of the state? Certainly, the answer is a ‘NO’. The present Chief Minister made it clear that the first such suggestion for a change in nomenclature of the state was mooted in 1974 during the Congress regime and later in 1999 when Left Front was in power. So West Bengal is united in this venture of name-change. The Opposition, which appears now to have become bankrupt of ideas, cannot call a Bandh or strike on this issue. They too agreed not to disagree in the change of name. But  which name is to be adopted?

The suggested possible names which West Bengal could get are Bangla, Bengal or Banga. Which one will be accepted? The crux lies in the choice, a historical choice, and this time it should not be a historical blunder.

The change of name of the state has been overdue. The name ‘West Bengal’ is utterly confusing  because it has within it  a North Bengal. No East, no South. This very logic justifies that the state should have been renamed much earlier. Punjab, after one part of it being snapped off and given to Pakistan, remains Punjab, We don’t call it East Punjab. Name change of a country or a state is not denying historical importance of a name. Calcutta with all its historical association and significance becomes changed to ‘Kolkata’. Krishna Nagar becomes Krishnagar, Peking became Beijing, Madras became Chennai and so on. So Howrah bridge like London Bridge of Eliot’s The Waste Land  will not be falling down on our head if the name changes. It is a right step to change the name of the state if and when necessary. No politicking and poly-tricking should be allowed.

It is heartening that the decision has been taken in the all party meet before it is placed to the Assembly. So the differences of opinion were not much. Mamata Banerjee beamingly said, "I have called another all-party meeting on August 19 in my chamber in the Assembly for further discussion on this issue." This is well done. Otherwise, the opposition parties can call a Bangla Bandh or 24-hour strike on this issue as nothing is left for them to create sensation in the people’s mind. Change is the mantra of Mamata.

Now the question if it was at all necessary for effecting a change in the nomenclature. The change is more needed because West Bengal comes last of all states in alphabetical arrangement. Mr. Partha Chatterjee, the numero uno of Mamata’s cabinet, rightly said: “We  want a greater audience. People become sleepy when our turn in any meeting comes”. The million dollar question remains if the state will have more progress after the change of name and greater audience being reached.