Mumbai Or Bombay?

[anotheoldgit]

On TV this morning I watched a report from Mumbai, and although the Media continued to address it as Mumbai, the residents interviewed continued to refer to their capital city as Bombay.

Could this be because their masters want to remove all trace of British rule, while it's people still hold a certain endearment for the British?

[emmie]

I doubt if many know their history, especially the young in Mumbai, being ruled by the British may not take precedence -

[New Judge]

Yes.

I've been to India a number of times and among the older people at least there is a feeling that the best days for their country were during the British rule.

[EcclesCake]

An Indian friend born in Bombay refers to her home city as Mumbai.

Matter of choice perhaps?

[Jackdaw33]

I've drunk many a glass of Bombay gin but nary a one of Mumbai gin.

[Lynn_M]

Cumberland or Cumbria? Tyne and Weird or Co. Durham? Sounds like India are under the same Marxist boot that we're under. In this case, taking away people's identity. Stuff them and may they die in agony

[EcclesCake]

^^^ yer what?

[Jackdaw33]

LOL @ Tyne and Weird! North of the Tyne was Northumberland and South was Co. Durham. In the middle of the King Edward VII bridge over the Tyne there is still a large sign with two arrows; one pointing to Northumberland and the other to Durham.

[Lynn_M]

"He's fallen in the water" (Eccles)

[KARL]

What is as likely as anything else is that, in conversation with UK media, Indians (so very often wanting to say what they think the listener wants to hear, as I recall) will use the name they believe foreigners are more familiar with. The same inclination drives people to, when in the company of those they believe want to hear it, flatter them with whatever they think will work, including expressing nostalgia for foreign rule and, likely, the listener will readily fall for it. Remember too that the place names of Empire were often very alien to the indigenous population, (re)applying local ones is not inventing anything.