Do you know where are Canning, Chelmsford and Hardinge in Delhi?

The renaming of Dalhousie Road to 'Dara Shikoh Road' earlier this month is the continuation of a gradual effacing of our colonial past. As those living in Delhi will testify to, well known and not so well known English names are slowly disappearing from the Capital.

For instance Hardinge Road, referring to Charles Hardinge — the Viceroy of India from 1910-1916 — has been renamed Tilak Marg after the freedom fighter, Bal Gangadhar Tilak. The Duke of Connaught has been similarly effaced, with Connaught Circus and Connaught Place officially changed to Indira and Rajiv Chowk respectively.

Other changes include Kitchener Road (Named after Lord Kitchner) which was changed to Sardar Patel Marg, Dupleix Road (Named after Joseph Francois Dupleix, Governor General of French India) renamed Kamraj Marg, Reading Road (Named after Lord Reading, Viceroy of India) to Mandir Marg, and Viscount Ratendone (ADC to Lord Willingdon) to Amrita Pritam Singh Marg.

And while talking about Viceroys, let us not forget the 'Last Emperor of India'— Albert Frederick Arthur George, better known as George VI. George VI was ousted from Delhi, when York Road, named after him — was changed to Motilal Nehru Marg. Incidentally, Motilal is already commemorated in Allahabad — Motilal Nehru Road, Allen Ganj, Allahabad.

For Gautam Kaul, former Director General, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and an expert on the Capital's history, the changes show that Delhi has come full circle. "Not many people know that when New Delhi was inaugurated, only Sawai Mansingh was commemorated after a road was named after him —Mansingh Road, which was because of his good relations with the British. Other contributors like Scindia were not commemorated."

But is this change necessarily a good thing? Some experts and historians of the Capital do not think so. Speaking on condition of anonymity, a historian said, "Over the years, we have slowly been moving away from our history, in the pretext of saving our namesakes. Is this because we are apologetic or rather ashamed of our past? The prism of communalism around us does not let us appreciate our history. But even if it embarrasses us, we cannot debunk what has been here; we cannot rob our city of its identity."

Apart from preserving our past, there are other reasons to highlight these old names as some of these men had meaningful relations with India which are worth remembering and honouring. Charles Hardinge, who served as the Viceroy of India between 1910-1916, certainly deserves to be remembered and thanked by the Capital, for it was under his regime that India's capital changed from Calcutta to Delhi; the last Delhi Durbar, Court of Delhi, in 1911, the only one attended by the then sovereign, King George V, was during his tenure.

Historians believe that by doing away with his road, Delhiites may cease to wonder and enquire more about this man. Also interesting was Harding's relations with India. A great admirer of Gandhi, his time as the Viceroy saw better relations between the British and nationalists. Because of these improved relations, the British were able to send Indian troops to WWI and also set up a base for British troops in India.

Charles John Canning is another name that would be worth remembering. The first Viceroy and Governor-General of India between 1856-1862, he played an important role during the mutiny of 1857. Kaul points out that it was Canning who came up with the 'Hindu Widow's Remarriage Act, 1856' and also set up Universities of Bombay, Madras, and Calcutta in 1857. Until a few years back, Canning was known to people through the road named after him, which was changed to 'Shrimant Madhavrao Scindia Marg' after the latter died in a helicopter crash in 2001.

Such changes did not pass without comment. The late renowned author and an expert on the Capital, Khushwant Singh, wrote in his much-loved novel Delhi: "It is time to catch up with Delhi. A quick shower and am off in my Hindustan Ambassador. More roads and roundabouts have had their names changed. The Windsors, Yorks, Cannings, and Hardinges have been replaced by the Tilaks, Patels, Azads, and Nehrus."

Singh's comments on a changing Delhi, has meant the knowledge of what the British did for the Capital and India has slowly ebbed away from Delhiites today. Asked about the history of the names, Manan Arora, 19, an engineering student of Delhi University said, "I have never heard of any of these road names; the only name I know is Connaught." Arora's comments suggest that the younger generation may already have lost touch with their history.

Viceroy who saved the Taj Mahal

George Nathaniel Curzon, the Viceroy of India between 1899-1905, is known for dividing Bengal into Eastern and Western Bengal. But if there was no Curzon, there might be no Taj Mahal. It was Curzon who restored hwat is now one of the seven wonders of the World. During his tenure as the first Prime Minister of India, Jawahar Lal Nehru, gave a tribute to Curzon, saying, "After every other Viceroy has been forgotten, Curzon will be remembered because he restored all that was beautiful in India." Today, though, Curzon lies forgotten as the road named after him was renamed Kasturba Gandhi, Mahatma Gandhi's wife. Another lane — Curzon Lane, was changed to— Balwant Rai Mehta Lane, named after the second CM of Gujarat.