Pondicherry - Puduchery - Pondy - Pody: What Is In a Name?

'From this day forward, thou shalt be known as Puduchery' — well, that's what the powers-that-be have told our dearly beloved Pondicherry. Of course, now some locals' fear what other changes this might bring to their life and culture. Pondy, as it is affectionately known, has a unique cultural mix of French and Tamil and now, with a Tamil name, the natives can't be blamed for wondering what lies in store for them.

But going by what changes happened in Chennai, after its own name change from Madras, I would say that life in Pondy would go on much the same way as before. I still call my town Madras - not because it is 'modern' or hip or anything of that sort. It is just because I am used to calling it Madras and 'Chennai' doesn't have the same ring to it. I am sure many of my fellow brethren in Mumbai, Vadodara, Kolkatta, Kochi and elsewhere feel the same. Life goes on.

Having said that, I do agree that Chennai has always been a purely Tamil city and had always been referred to as such in the Tamil language. So it wasn't a huge jump. But Pondy, might just prove to be a different kettle of fish. But, at the end of the day, just by calling it Puduchery, I do not think one can erase its French colonial past or the deeply embedded French culture. Of course, Tamil might get stamped on its face a bit more than before and that might be a bit difficult to handle at first.

But I really cannot help wonder why. I mean, what is the earth shattering occurrence that hasn't happened to Pondy because it wasn't called 'Puduchery'? Even BJP's Thirunavukarasu echoes the sentiment as he 'felt no prosperity would accrue to the region by this move.' Then I read that a ferry service between Chennai and Pondicherry was suggested by the bloke from DMK. While that is a nice thing, why couldn't this be done before? What prevented people from operating a ferry service from Madras to Pondy? Then I think, well, who can fathom what goes on in the minds of a politician. Look at Blair; look at Dubya. Ours not to wonder why.

Earlier this year, I visited Italy with my family and all the cities there are known by their local, Italian names as well as their English ones. So, as you enter a city, there's a signboard that says 'Welcome to Florence' as well as 'Benvenuto a Firenze'. Locals give you directions to go to Venezia from Roma and to go to Piza, they say you take the coastal road that would take you past Milano.

You get what I am saying? Pondy could be known as both Puduchery and Pondicherry and still retain its soul. After all, as the Bard famously said,
'That which we call a rose
By any other word would smell as sweet'.