K.K.BIRLA LANE

Naming roads in Central Delhi is an infrequent affair. Most of them have been named already and the rules now do not allow renaming. But clearly some spaces still exist and one of Delhi’s most idyllic leafy lanes recently got itself a new name, K.K.Birla Lane in memory of the industrialist and newspaper baron. It thus acquired a touch of history and national politics. In a simple roadside ceremony Chief Minister Shiela Dikshit arrived promptly on time to unveil a plaque and name the K.K.Birla Lane. Simplicity was the highlight of the event with the low-key Gopal Gandhi being the person called upon to be the main speaker at a small seminar that was held immediately after the ceremony was done. K.K.Birla’s three daughters and their families got pictures taken by the roadside providing a rare sight to office goers curiously peering from office cars.
At the ceremony site itself the only officialdom present were the Head of NDMC and the local M.P of New Delhi Ajay Maken. Most guests avoided the blazing sun of the ceremony and headed straight to the cooler India International Centre. The seminar focused on the contributions of K.K.Birla beyond the world of business and commerce. The large number of political attendees R.K.Dhawan, Abhishek Singhvi, N.K.Singh and Jyotiraditya Madhavrao Scindia was a testimony to Birla’s stints in the Rajya Sabha, a role now taken over ably by daughter Shobhana Bhartiya.