The name “Baashyaam” in Koyambedu Metro named after a freedom fighter?
Claim
In memory of Baashyaam who hoisted the tricolour flag at Chennai Fort in 1932 as an individual during the British rule!!
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Description
The renaming of the Chennai Koyambedu Metro station as “Baashyaam Koyambedu Metro” caused great controversy. Vaiko, the general secretary of the MDMK Party, had strongly condemned the change of name of the Metro Rail, saying, “Who is this Baashyaam, what is the sacrifice made for Tamil Nadu?”
After all, who is this “Baashyaam”? One of the long write-ups has gone viral on social media, claiming that Arya, alias Baashyaam, who hoisted the tricolour flag at the Chennai Fort in 1932 as a lone individual during the British regime and that the Koyambedu Metro station has been renamed in his memory.
Fact Check:
The name change to “Baashyaam Koyambedu Metro” did not focus on the story or the name of the freedom fighter, as in the viral write-ups. It’s the name of the company that contracted advertising. On both sides of the metro station name you can see the Baashyaam company logo and the Metro Rail logo
In the February 7 issue of The Hindu English, entitled “Branding strategy pays off for Metro”, the Koyambedu station next to Nandanam and AG-DMS metro got a semi-naming license (advertising with the company name along with the railway station).
Baashyaam Construction has won the contract for the semi-naming license for the Koyambedu station, so Chennai Metro Rail officials, the name has been changed to Baashyaam Koyambedu Metro Station.
The news published in The Hindu about the revenue generated by Metro through branding advertisements has been shared on the official social media pages of Chennai Metro Rail.
Similarly, Muthoot Nandanam Center, AG-DMS Lalita Jewellery Station, Billroth Hospital in Shenoy nagar and Citi Union Bank in Saidapet have been given semi-naming licenses.
Advertising deals are being put in place at all metro stations to increase the revenue of metro stations. Based on that, they are allowed to advertise with a contract amount of Rs 25 lakh to Rs 1 crore. Koyambedu Metro Station 1 million per year for 3 years of the contract, the tender to be taken Bhashyam Construction news is released on News 18.
According to the Chennai Metro website, a contract amount of Rs 50 lakh to Rs 1 crore has been fixed for 23 metro stations in connection with the “semi naming license” agreement. An application has been submitted for the same. When contacted by the Chennai Metro station officials, they did not respond. We then attach it to the answer.
In 2015, The Hindu English website published an exclusive article titled ” The flagstaff and the freedom fighter ” about freedom fighter Arya K Bhashyam.
Explanation
In our search, the reason for changing the name of Koyambedu Metro Station to “Baashyaam Koyambedu Metro” is that the name of Baashyaam Construction Company is based on the advertising contract. It is understandable that the Chennai Metro administration did not name the freedom fighter.
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