Indian city names

[David H]

Is it true nearly everyone in India still uses the old names for cities like Bombay and Madras while the BBC insists we must use the new ones?
If so why don't they tell is it's OK not to as well?

[jake-the-peg]

Well when I was in Bangalore last month most people seemed to use new names but would understand and not be offended if you used the old ones.

Mind you they were mostly younger people - like any change I guess older people are the last to change.

[R1Geezer]

what new names? On my map it staill has Bombay and Madras, and I still can't find Tikka-Massalla anywhere!

[David H]

Besides reports from people who have been there and said everyone there still uses the names we used before, online friends in India also tell me it's just a few Indian nationalists who got it through parliament and hardly anyone there actually wants it. But our media clearly think they do.

[jake-the-peg]

Thinking back a bit when I was there I think it depends on the city pretty much everyone said Bangalore but also pretty much everybody says Mumbai.

Thing is not everbody looks back with fondness to the times when the British brought civilisation to the world at the point of a gun and changing names is one way for them to emphasise that independance.

Do you use Leningrad or St.Petersburg?

[David H]

Leningrad was purely named after communism so clearly obsolete, the point isn't what I think though but whether we are doing something not actually done in its home country.

[David H]

I know it is under very sad circumstances but The Times have consistently referred to the latest atrocities as being in Bombay, and as an authority for journalism and information they have clearly decided these are still correct names. Sorry it had to come out in these situations but the facts are received from all different sources.