Having streets, buildings, parks, stadiums, markets, airports
etc. named after one’s name or in the name of one’s family member remains the perpetual
fancy of most people in this nation.
The latest to join this bandwagon is Bollywood actress
Priyanka Chopra who wants to get a street, in the commercial heartland of the
country Mumbai, named after her late father. Her dreams appear to becoming
reality soon with the local municipal commission approving her request.
Ms. Chopra’s father who served the Indian army as doctor had
a distinguished service and this is by no means to disrespect his soul or to
belittle his achievements. But if a road is named after him, then there are thousands
of others equally or more deserving service men and women, some of whom have
even laid their lives for the nation, who deserve similar honour. The brave
policemen who laid their lives during the 26/11 terror attack on Mumbai city,
the Taj Hotel General Manager who lost his wife and two sons while trying to
save other guests… will we have a street named after each of them? The ordinary
tax payer who pays through his nose for the construction of all these roads…will
one of them ever get a street named after him/her?
Besides, in this case it is
the family pressing for a street to be renamed, not as if the nation or the
Mumbai city is conferring this honour. How can personal tribute be paid in the
form of claiming a right on a public property? Personal grief and tribute are
best in private, not for public display.
Ms. Chopra could have done a world of
good to start a social campaign for the girl child or for orphan kids in her
father’s name, with a small portion of her own millions.
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