Outrage as Melbourne lake renamed Guru Nanak after Indian religious figure

Furious residents are taking action after their community lake was named after an Indian religious figure without their input.

Berwick Springs Lake in Melbourne’s south-east has been renamed Guru Nanak Lake after Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the founder of the Sikh faith.

A renaming ceremony took place last Saturday during which members of the Sikh community were joined by representatives of the state government.

Ministers Ingrid Stitt and Sonya Kilkenny, along with local Labor MPs Gary Maas and Lee Tarlamis, were among those in attendance.

Ms Kilkenny praised the lake’s new name as another way we are ensuring Victoria’s place names better reflect and celebrate our state’s rich diversity and history.

The Planning Minister also shared the government’s plans to rename 6,000 more places across the state over the next three years and encouraged Victorians to submit ‘exceptional individuals for commemoration’.

‘Remember a local, name a place!’ Ms Kilkenny posted on Facebook.

The post was quickly flooded with comments.

“I’m sorry but what an absolute joke,” said one.

Another said: ‘This is so wrong. I will fight to have it reversed.

‘This has no relevance and is causing further division. Watch this space, the residents are furious. Terrible.’

Others questioned how Guru Nanak met the criteria that places be renamed after those who had “a long relationship with the nominated area.”

‘What was Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s ‘long association with’ any part of Victoria?’ someone asked.

“As a non-binary BIPOC person, I am curious as to why this decision has been made when it doesn’t even comply with the Victorian Government’s own rules.”

Another added: ‘Guru Nanak wasn’t exactly a local – he was born in 1469?’

Ms Kenny replied: ‘That is true, but for many members of the local community, Guru Nanak is a very important part of their lives.

‘And also very progressive: equality, truth, compassion and service to the community.’

Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny (pictured left) said the name change would better reflect the diverse nature of Victoria

Even some in the Sikh community opposed the measure.

“I am a Punjabi Sikh. “I’m sorry, but this name is a bad idea,” they said.

‘In the rush to curry favor with Indian Australians (something politicians of all stripes are guilty of), you have ignored the fact that Guru Nanak is a *religious* figure.

“I don’t think we should name landmarks after religious figures (unless a landmark’s prominence is specifically due to religion).”

The Facebook user even wondered whether such moves increased racial and cultural understanding.

‘Moreover, such gestures are cynical; everyone can see it except the community is flattered,” they said.

‘And they are counterproductive. Instead of increasing harmony, they only achieve more mistrust and racism against visible minorities.”

A petition to reverse the change, led by local Michael Ball, has already collected more than 2,000 signatures.

“As a member of the community, I would like to express my deep concern and disbelief at this change and the process by which it was made,” the petition reads.

“The name Berwick Springs Lake is inextricably linked to the identity of our Berwick Springs community.

‘It has been a defining feature of our neighborhood and has important significance for local residents.

‘The sudden change of this name, without proper consultation with the community, has caused enormous unrest among residents and beyond. ‘

While the petition noted that consultation would take place over what type of signage the lake would receive, “we find it deeply troubling that such consultation was not extended to the much more fundamental issue of the name change itself.”

“Residents consider the lack of community consultation a betrayal of democratic principles and extremely poor governance of the public sector, completely outside what they expect from elected representatives and officials,” the petition said.

The petition stated that the objection to the change was “a matter of principle that would remain the same” regardless of which religious figure chose the name.

“This is not about a particular faith or community, but about preserving the community identity of our area.”

The petition demanded that, in addition to reverting to the previous name, the process for making the change public should be made public.

Along with Ms Kilkenny, the event was attended by a number of Labor figures including (from left to right) Southeast Metropolitan MP Lee Tarlamis, Pakenham MP Emma Vulin, Minister for Multicultural Affairs Ingrid Stitt, Narre Warren South MP Gary Maas

Jasbir Singh Suropada, chairman of the Sikh Interfaith Council of Victoria, told SBS Punjabi that the group had been in discussions with the Victorian government since 2018 “about [naming] a place after the founder of our faith’.

“Now that this lake will be called Guru Nanak Lake, the name of our Guru will be part of legal documents like government gazettes and part of history,” he said.

‘People who visit this place, look at the board, read about our guru, [and] some might google it and learn more about Sikhism and its founder. We are trying to add a link here describing Sikh history so that anyone who wants to learn more can do so.”

The Victorian Government also announced $600,000 in funding for Sikh organizations to host ‘Langer’ events in the lead up to the 555th anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s birth.

Victoria is home to more than 91,000 Sikhs, making it the state with the largest representation of the community, according to the 2021 census.

However, in the city of Casey, where the lake is located, Sikhs make up only 4.1 percent of the population, while the neighboring municipalities of Cardinia and Greater Dandenong make up 2.6 percent and 2.9 percent respectively.