NDMC renames Officers Mess Road after former Russian ambassador Alexander Kadakin

The NDMC in a meeting on Friday took the decision a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced the renaming at St Petersburg while issuing a joint statement with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Kadakin served as Russian ambassador to Delhi from 2009 until his death in 2017

Another New Delhi road has a new name: This time it is Officers Mess Road in Chanakyapuri ,which will be from now known as Alexander M Kadakin Marg.

Alexander M Kadakin served as Russia’s ambassador to India from 2009 to his death in 2017. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced the renaming in St Petersburg, Russia, while issuing a joint statement with Russian President Vladimir Putin. (HT Photo)

The NDMC in a meeting on Friday passed the resolution a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced the renaming at St Petersburg while issuing a joint statement with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“We are naming a road in Delhi after the late Ambassador Alexander Kadakin. He was a great friend of India,” Modi had said.

According to the NDMC, “to cherish the memory of Alexander Kadakin, (July 22, 1949 – January 26, 2017) the New Delhi Municipal Council has renamed after him an important road in Diplomatic area of New Delhi. He was born in Russia but his Karma-Bhoomi was India, where he served as ambassador from 2009 until his last breath in 2017.”

“He was an admirable diplomat, a great friend of India and was fluent in Hindi, Urdu, French, Romanian languages, Devnagri writer and well conversant with Indian heritage, mythology and culture,” a council official said.

In the past, too, names of various roads and roundabouts have been changed in the NDMC area. In 1986, Connaught Circus was renamed as Indira Chowk and Connaught Place renamed as Rajiv Chowk. In 2002, Canning Road was renamed as Madhav Rao Scindia Marg. In 2015, Aurangzeb Road was renamed as Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Marg and in 2016, Race Course Road was renamed as Dara Shikoh Marg. In February this year, Park Street and Park Lane were renamed as Bangbandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Road and Bangbandhu Sheikh Rahman Mujibur Lane.

There is also a similar proposal to rename Teen Murti Marg as Teen Murti Haifa Marg, after the third-largest city in the country of Israel ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit in July. However, this proposal is yet to get the council’s approval.