Hitler, Mafia, Bomber seeking votes in Meghalaya

Not to be left behind, some voters in the state also have peculiar names like Thailand, New York and Submarine.

Among the other contestants for the February 23 polls who have equally colourful names are Hilarius, Predecessor, Boldness, Hamlet and Nesting.

Historians in the state say the different names are a result of a colonial hangover

Dr Amanda Passah, a historian at the North Eastern Hills University, said, "It is unfair to laugh at them (names) since they are not to be blamed for having such names."

"It is the result of fascination of anything western or European of their parents," he said.

He said it was a 'colonial hangover' to give western names sometimes without actually knowing their meaning or connotation and tribals in the pre-colonial period in Meghalaya did not have much choice of names for their offsprings.

Predominantly a Christian state, Meghalaya¿s date with colonisation by the British began in the 19th Century.

When the indigenous tribes first converted to Christianity, they named their children after missionaries. Subsequent generations started favouring words and names they

were familiar with, but did not have a good understanding of.

"Among the tribals here especially those hailing from rural areas, there is a fascination for all things foreign, especially western, which is reflected in the names of their children," Dr Passah said.

"They may have heard of names and personalities and it sounded nice to them," she said and explained that it did not mean that they

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