Mumbai: NGO complains to MBMC, Chief Minister about spelling mistake in name of Bhayandar

The spelling on the municipal corporation`s official website

What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet,' wrote the Bard of Avon. But just ask the residents of Bhainder... Bhayandar actually, the same question and you will find many fuming at the change in name, rather the spelling of the suburb. The change they say was done by the municipal corporation. While the municipal commissioner refused to comment before ‘verification,' an assistant commissioner says the spelling change is official.

The Bhayandar-based Watchdog Foundation has complained in writing to the Mira-Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC) and to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, about the spelling mistake in the name of Bhayandar. It and locals also want strictest action against the person who first began the usage of the incorrect spelling. The NGO claims that the MBMC has also put many sign boards in the area wherein Bhayandar was spelt incorrectly as Bhaindar. However, at railway stations, passport offices, etc. it is written correctly as Bhayandar.

The spelling at the railway station

Speaking to mid-day, Godfrey Pimenta who runs Watchdog Foundation said, "I have been staying in Bhayandar since my birth and my parents and grandparents were also born here. The spelling was Bhayandar. On MBMC's official website the name is wrongly spelt as Bhaindar. Every citizen of Bhayandar writes the correct spelling. Our location is our identity and the incorrect spelling has hurt all residents. We don't know how suddenly the spelling of Bhayandar was changed by MBMC."

"We suspect that a new MBMC officer changed the spelling. We are shocked to read Bhaindar. The signatory to a notice is the Transport Manager, Mira-Bhayandar Municipal Corporation. The Central government agencies, whether it is Western Railway or Indian Postal Department, also correctly spell the name as Bhayandar, then why has the municipal corporation changed the spelling? We demand that the municipal corporation immediately take steps to rectify the mistake," he said.

Jitesh Vora, a resident and Godfrey Pimenta, Watchdog Foundation

Locals speak

"The MBMC has illiterate staff and they hire people with less salary to complete work. I think the website was given to those people to handle, who don't have any knowledge about the area. During elections, many people's names are also printed wrong and there are several spelling mistakes. MBMC should correct the mistakes," said Jitesh Vora, a Bhayandar East resident.

"At the railway station it's written Bhayandar and in other places it's written Bhayender or Bhayendar. People are confused with the sign boards and official website," said Sailee Pawar, another Bhayandar resident.

Spelling change official?

However, one resident claimed the spelling has been changed officially. "I called light bill office when I received the bill and asked them why it was printed Bhaindar instead of Bhayandar. They told me that it has been officially changed. They also told me to check the gazzette copy where it say that Bhayandar's name was changed by MBMC. Now it's official Bhaindar,' said Priyesh Jain, a resident of Bhayandar West.

MBMC Commissioner Vijay Rathod refused to comment before verification. He said, "We have to verify all the details on the website and in the area. I can't comment before checking this."

However Assistant Municipal Commissioner Narendra Patil of the General Admin Department (GAD) said, "Few years back many people complained that the name should be pronounced and spelt as ‘Bhaindar.' So the state government changed the spelling and kept it Bhaindar. Bhaindar is the correct spelling. We also changed it across Bhaindar. We also informed the Railways to correct the spelling."