What is not in the name

“Shakespeare told that what’s in name, if you don’t say rose as rose, doesn’t it smell sweet.” I differ to a little with the above opinion . Name is an identification that gives pleasing sensation , when called rightly. It also has capacity to irritate, when one has to spend much time to be recognized by his name. However, great personalities are always like roses. Kindly, read my story, so as to know the problems and advantages related with name.

My name is srinivas.It is the name of almost 5% to 10% population with little variations  in the state of Andhrapradesh  of India .It is highly impossible to be recognized, when it is told ordinarily as Srinivas. My problem is more severe as there are  other persons existing with my name and my initial B in our locality. Ironically, one of  my cousins has same surname also. Of course, later it was resolved by adding my mother name to my name, while uttering. Even in the School days, there used to be three other persons with my name and different initial. I was ever used to call with by adding my surname, typically.I was called B.cnu, making it short. However, friends started calling Bellam, assuming it as my initial.

It is also an interesting story to called as Bellam.I was very much fond of playing cricket.I never use to loose the wicket easily. On one holiday I was playing cricket match with Vidyanagar team.I was batting and I was also scoring useful runs. There was two other persons with my name. The scorer curiously asked under who’s account the runs has to be credited. I said under B.Srinivas. There are two persons with that name. I said it is B for Bellam. Thus, I have become Bellam Srinivas. Though it resolved the problems temporarily, later created the confusion among the nearest relatives. Some friends still continue to call me as Bellam cnu only. It was crystallized, as I was also involved in business in later days.

Later, during my university days, there used to be 18 numbers of persons existing with my name, in our college. Though it has taken time, but resolved by pet names and nicknames. My pet name was Walsh, as I used to bowl like him. During the same days the revolution in the Information technology has took place and land phones has increased many folds .Also the connectivity has increased very much. This has aggravated the problem and I have to explain about me very thoroughly, then only the other side persons used to understand me. Similar things continued in the era of cell phone.

This has impact in two or three ways in my life. It has increased my patience. Secondly, it always provoked rather stimulated me to have my special identity to introduce myself to others. Thus, it lead me to become a Govt.officer, with hard working nature. Wherever I worked I was famous with that city name. But, most of the time I worked at Bhainsa only. Thirdly, it has provided care in naming my children.

I am loved to be called as Sreenu, instead of other uttering like cnu, srinivas,etc. Astonishingly, the most loving personalities of my life have called me Sreenu only.

My maternal grand father is a village headmen(patel).He used to call me as Srinivasa Rayudu.He also dreamt that I should be a big officer. I sometimes recollect his words, though he is not alive.

My father sometimes uttered me as  Srinivas Rao. But, among our families there is a belief that the name of God shall not hold any caste identities such as Rao or Rayudu or something. Hence, my Father remained as GangaRam, instead of Gangadhar Rao.My younger Grand mother call my father as Gangadhari. I remained as Srinivas.

During the era of Information technology, the mail id is an important thing. Initially ,I had hotmail id.It was sbonagiri.Later,bonvas118 @yahoomail.com was continued as mail id. Due to inconvenience I opened rediffmail id also. Here searching for the mail id ,while creating was a difficult task. This time I do not want to open mail id with numbers. lastly, I have to add my gotra Kashyapa to it. Thus, my mail id has been sbkashyapa@rediffmail.com, indicating Srinivas Bonagiri Kashyapa. I used to send all my personal mails through this Id. Some people started calling me as Kashyap. Some people thought me as Brahmin and has got own advantages and disadvantages at a time. Some people feared to involve in my issues. On the other hand my friends in depressed classes has misunderstood. But, I could convince that Jyothiba Phule also followed the same strategy of sanskritization and fighting oppression at a time.

On 12^th November, 2009 I assumed the charge of Municipal Commissioner, Suryapet. it is quite a new place to me and I intentionally moved to that place. Actually, my ancestors are from Nalgonda district only. I wanted to take advantage of my ancestry and my name was written as Bonagiri Srinivas on the name board. My caste was not revealed to anyone. Of course I never reveal to an extent possible. But, things happened in a different way, people started assuming me as vyshya, as many of the Bonagiri families were from that community. The other adding factors for such assumption are:I am vegetarian and took Swamy Ayyappa Deeksha soon after assumption of charge, my wife’s surname Akula is also present among the Vyshya, one naughty Ramu explained about Akula Rajaiah.It is the  Lavanya’s Grand father’s  name and I said I know him.But,he expalaining about Akula Rajaiah of Vyshya Community.I could not understand it ,but he started calling me as Bava. The most of the Vyshya people believed that I am belongs to their caste, though I refused it many time. One thota shyam is also reason for this continued belief, as he never condemned the statements of his fellow vasavians. However, they cooperated well during my tenure, even after knowing that I am not vyshya.

In Khammam , my name was introduced as Srinivas Rao, without my knowledge, prior to my arrival. later , I explained that I am B.Srinivas only.Here , there is a lot of value for the surname but my surname has not become popular.

Coming to another facet,  naming of my children. My son’s name is Shiva Kashyap. I am an ordent devotee of Shiva and it is present in his name without ambiguity. Initially I wanted him to be shiva Harsha,which means a person with applauding nature by Lord Shiva. But, when I knew that Harsha’s father died , while he was young, I wanted the suffix to be different. My wife asked you have named one syllable and I will give me the chance to name another syllable. She likes the Abdul Kalam a lot, I too. We want to name after him. atleast K should be present in the name, memorizing the greatest scientist in India.I told Kashyapa Mahamuni was the greatest Scientist in ancient India. Thus, he was named as Shiva Kashyap. Kashyapa is happened to the our Gotra also.

Further, I want to name my daughter as Prerana.But, nothing is similar in the names of my siblings, as in case of my  father’s. My father has taken enough care  to start every name with Sri/Sree, that too with 8 lettered name. Hence, I have named my daughter as Prerana Kashyap.Some people had objections for freely using of Kashyap. But, they were briefed as above.

Hence, I hope that I have proved that in the Indian circumstances name plays very vital role. It has its own advantages and disadvantages.It reveals the cultural,social facets and their vast relations in the society, unlike foreign countries. If one person is expressed by a better name, he can be smelled more sweetly.