Beed erupts over street renaming row amid water crisis and drainage woes

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: The district headquarters of Beed, already grappling with a severe lack of basic amenities like potable water and functional drainage, is now embroiled in a controversy over renaming of a major thoroughfare.The street, traditionally known as Subhash Road, was renamed “Sant Muktai Road” on Saturday. The new name honours the revered saint of the Warkari community, whose annual palkhi (procession) passes through Beed on its way to Pandharpur. However, the move has drawn sharp criticism from historians and citizens who view it as an erasure of the city’s revolutionary heritage.Historian Satish Salunke termed the move an “insult” to the freedom fighters who originally named the road after Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose during the Independence movement.“During the freedom struggle, Beed and its surrounding areas hosted military camps for fighters inspired by Bose’s Azad Hind Fauj,” Salunke said. “Netaji was scheduled to visit Beed on his way to Madras. Although he couldn’t make the trip, his followers named the street he was meant to traverse ‘Subhash Road’ in his honour. The adjacent ‘Netaji maidan,’ where he was to hold a rally, still stands today.”The decision has also touched a nerve with residents frustrated by the city’s crumbling infrastructure.

“The municipal council needs to get its priorities straight,” said a senior citizen, requesting anonymity. “Renaming a road won’t appease us. We need a guaranteed tap water supply and a clean city, not a change of address.”Some residents noted that late guardian minister of the district Ajit Pawar, who had always urged local leaders to prioritise development over symbolic gestures, would likely have opposed the move.Defending the decision, a local NCP leader claimed the proposal had cross-party support.

“The Sant Muktai procession infuses Beed with energy every year. Naming the street after the saint is a mark of respect and is not intended to diminish Netaji’s legacy,” he said.Adding to the confusion, a local group briefly installed a temporary board on the same street, naming it “Annabhau Sathe Road,” as a bust of the social reformer is located nearby.Beed Municipal Council president Premlata Parve and local MLA Vijaysinh Pandit were unavailable for comment despite several attempts to reach them.