'Why not name Bengaluru metro station after Shankar Nag?'

Social media users react after Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's promise on proposal to name a metro station after St Mary

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's promise of a positive response to a proposal to name the upcoming Shivajinagar metro station in Bengaluru after St Mary has triggered a backlash from netizens, with many opposing the move and suggesting that the station be instead named after the late Kannada actor and cultural icon Shankar Nag.

While participating in the inauguration of the annual feast at St Mary’s Basilica, the Chief Minister assured Archbishop Peter Machado of a positive response to the demands of funding for the renovation of the basilica and naming the Shivajinagar metro station, which is part of the Pink Line, after St Mary.

Several social media users have questioned the proposal and sought to know why the Namma Metro station cannot be named after Shankar Nag or any other personality from Karnataka.

One user wrote, “What’s happening! It’s a shame. Why does the Karnataka government want to name the metro station Saint Mary? Why not after Kannadigas like Shankar Nag or other deserving people?” 

The demand to name a metro station after the actor, who is credited with envisioning the rapid transit system for Bengaluru in the 1980s, is a long-standing one. Many of the 83 metro stations in the city are named after various personalities, including spiritual leaders. 

Another social media user said, "No metro station should be named after any person unless that name is part of the area name. It affects co-branding efforts. Confuses commuters. There are other ways and places to [offer] tribute to any legend..."

Naming metro stations after some personalities has led to controversies earlier. There have also been demands that the government reject proposals of associations or political parties on naming metro stations and stick to the practical need to name stations after their localities or known landmarks near them. 

This, however, has not stopped politicians from making promises to consider such demands. Recently, at a felicitation programme organised by the Kodava Samaja, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said he and the Chief Minister would discuss and take a final decision on naming a metro station after Field Marshal K M Cariappa, the first Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army.

There have been instances where the names of metro stations in the city have left commuters and local people confused. After the Yellow Line metro was inaugurated recently, Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya was among those who pointed out the mismatch in the names of Electronic City and Infosys Foundation Konappana Agrahara stations that are located 0.99 km apart. Stating that the station names came “straight out of a comedy script”, he noted that the Electronics City area is actually called Konappana Agrahara metro station, while the Konappana Agrahara area is called the Electronic City metro station.

There have also been demands to rename the Ragigudda station on the Yellow Line as Marenahalli-Ragigudda station, as, according to a local organisation, "the area where the station has been constructed is situated in Marenahalli and not Ragigudda, which is around half a kilometre away from the station".