In the next few weeks, Kannada is all set to reclaim anglicised "Bangalore".  After all the approvals are in, Bangalore will cease to be the city's official name in English. Instead, be prepared to pronounce it "Bengalooru", the way Kannadigas do.

Bangalore will go the way of Bombay, Calcutta and Madras – erased from public lingo except perhaps as a slip of the tongue, or in private conversations among those for whom the name is intertwined with their personal consciousness, or simply a matter of habit.

"Bangalored" will have to be "Bengaloored", the Bangalorean "Bengaloorean" and countless other similar shifts and changes in the way the derivates need to be pronounced.

Seven other smaller cities and town in Karnataka too are being rechristened (Mysooru for Mysore, Belagavi for Belgaum, Hubbali for Hubli, Chikkamagalooru for Chikmagalur, Shivamogga for Shimoga, Kalburgi for Gulbarga and Mangalooru for Mangalore).

If some are shouting hoarse over the adverse consequences for "Brand Bangalore",  others are whistling in glee.

The naysayers are painting a picture of gloom – investments that have been pouring in to the city may halt, reverse and leave;  the economic boom may go bust and from a bustling metropolis Bengalooru could turn into a stagnant city like many in the northern states.

Dismay

For the prime movers behind the change, it is an assertion of Kannada over English. For long, a section of diehard Kannadigas had observed with dismay the Anglicisation of the city.

The English-only name boards on shops and commercial establishments, the widely-prevalent use of English in shopping complexes and on the streets in large areas of the city, the difficulty experienced by Kannada films in finding a slot in mainstream theatres and the lack of initiative by outsiders to learn the local language triggered off fears that it would spell the end of Kannada's dominance in its own state.

If cosmopolitanism is celebrated by many, especially the first time outsider who would invariably find someone of his/her own language in the city, this was seen as a threat to the larger Kannada cause especially among the locals and migrants from other parts of the state.

Though periodic attempts were mounted to enforce Kannada on name boards, make it mandatory for mainstream theatres to screen Kannada films and spread the usage of the local language, nothing has really succeeded.  The time looked ripe for a reassertion, and there were precedents (in Bombay, Madras and Calcutta) for such a move.

Echoing these sentiments, the noted Kannada writer U R Ananthamurthy who floated the idea of "Bengalooru" as the only official name for the city said at least this way non-Kannadigas would hopefully get a feel for the language.

Nightmare

Critics however say the need of the moment is not a name-change but something more substantial to "rescue" Bangalore from the chaos it has descended into.

Some feel that the millions of rupees that need to be spent in the exercise could have been better spent on the city which desperately needs flyovers, broader roads, an alternative public transport system and an airport which, like the city's traffic, is crawling towards completion.

A few question the change to "Bengalooru" because it really does not amount to much. If the traditional name had to be restored it should have been "Benda Kaallooru" (City of Boiled Beans).  According to one version, the city was known by this name when it was founded several centuries ago.

Another comment on "Bengalooru" is, if literally translated, it means "Land of the Bengalis"!!  So why alter Bangalore and "hand it over to another set of outsiders?" ask some, tongue in cheek.

Kannada to English

Karnataka interestingly has examples where traditional names have the knack of getting anglicised. Take for instance H D Kote (in Mysore district bordering the Nagarhole forests).  H D is the shortened form of "Heggade Devana".  In effect, an authentic Kannada moniker. Or, for that matter, T.Narsipur. Very few would know what the letter "T" stands for in the name. But T is English, and that is the way everyone without exception pronounces it. After a prolonged search, this writer found what it stood for – "Tirumakudal". 
 
Similarly, there are others – for instance, localities in Bangalore called "G M Palya" and T.Dasarahalli. 

Probably if Bangalore were to have been renamed "Benda Kaallooru" in the popular lingo, it would have ended up being called "B K Ooru". 

Alongside "Bengalooru" and the change in the names of other cities and towns, has come a clamour for changes in the names of universities and other institutions.  But, the Mysore University vice-chancellor has put his foot down stating the name of the university would not be changed into "Mysooru University" as it would go against the wishes of the founding body which specifically wanted it to be called "University of Mysore".

Even as those backing "Bengalooru" are waiting for the day to arrive, those against it are helplessly counting the days until "Bangalore" will disappear for ever…As for its disinterested residents, if the change in name brings in a better work culture and commitment towards improving the city, "Bengalooru" is welcome…else it would amount to zilch.