Road Renaming Solution! Name it ‘Aloysius Shetty Idgah Gudde Road’? Ha..ha

By
Alfie Dsouza, Team Mangalorean.
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Road Renaming Solution! Name it ‘Aloysius Shetty Idgah Gudde Road’? Ha..ha

‘St Aloysius College Road? Mulky Sunder Ram Shetty Road? Idgah Maidan Road? Bavuta Gudde Road? Why not Name it -“Aloysius Shetty Idgah Gudde Road? Chapter closed-Ha..ha

Mangaluru: It may be recalled that Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) had resolved to rename the road from Ambedkar Circle to Catholic Club near Hampankatta in the city as Mulki Sunder Ram Shetty Road and it was approved by the government through a notification on May 24, 2017. The decision was taken based on a request by the Vijaya Bank Workers Organization. Meanwhile, the management of St Aloysius College, claimed that the road was named as St Aloysius College Road decades ago while opposing renaming it after Shetty. Later, the members of United Muslim Organisation, Dakshina Kannada, submitted a memorandum to the city corporation to rename the road as Idgah Maidan Road. Similarly, Amarasullia Swathantrya Hoarata Acharana Samiti urged the government to rename the road as ‘Bavuta Gudde Road’.

The onus of drawing curtains on a controversy of renaming a road stretch as Mulky Sunder Ram Shetty Road was entrusted to a four-member committee after the warring groups failed to reach a consensus at a meeting held on Friday, 4 August in the DC hall. No time-frame was given to the committee that would comprise of Mangalore University Registrar, Mangaluru City Corporation Commissioner, Dakshina Kannada District Additional Deputy Commissioner, Mangaluru University History professor and others as its members- they will study all the documents pertaining to the road and submit a report to the district administration.

The minister will hold a meeting again soon after a report is submitted by the committee. The decision to set up a committee was taken after the meeting failed to arrive at a unanimous decision on the issue with all the four stakeholders sticking to their demands with documentary evidence. The Deputy Commissioner Dr K Jagadeesha took the decision after district in-charge Minister B. Ramanath Rai, who chaired the meeting, passed on the responsibility to him.

Representing St Aloysius College, its Registrar A M. Narahari said, “The corporation should have carefully examined the issue before recommending renaming of the road. The road was renamed St. Aloysius College Road in 1976 by the then Mangalore Municipal Council when Late Blasius M. D’Souza was the president. (showing a college magazine) Look at this college magazine of those years and the book is not an afterthought. Sunder Ram Shetty is also an alumnus of the college and the college is proud of him. However, the road once renamed cannot again be renamed again”

Initiating the discussion, Mulki Karunakara Shetty from Vijaya Bank Workers and Officers Union asked Mangaluru South MLA J.R. Lobo why he wrote to the government stating that the renaming was not brought to public notice. “The corporation and the government had followed due process to rename the road, including inviting objections from the public. The road was not specifically asked for renaming. No law and order problem would have occurred if the road was renamed on July 2; it was St. Aloysius College authorities who mobilized students against the renaming. Our union felt that it was unnecessary to discuss with the college authorities to “settle the issue” as suggested by the MLA, as the government order was clear. The union is not open for any other solution”

Idgah on LHH Road near Tagore Park

Vijaya Bank Founder’s Branch on LHH road

Raising his voice, Social activist G. Hanumanth Kamath wondered if the road was named by the college and asked why its address at the entrance still says Light House Hill Road. St. Aloysius College itself is a landmark and it does not need a road to be named after it for recognition. On the other hand, Vokkaligara Yane Gowdara Seva Sangha demanded that the road is renamed Bavuta Gudda Road to remember the 1837 freedom struggle while the former Mayor K. Ashraf demanded that it be renamed as Idgah Road. Representatives of Vijaya Bank Workers Organization, St Aloysius College, United Muslim Organization and Amarasullia Swathantrya Hoarata Acharana Samiti expressed their views and said they have documentary proof to prove their claims. Following this, the meet resolved that a committee is formed to verify all the documents and prepare a report.

“Only one name can be finalized for a road and it is not possible to have multiple names. The meeting did not arrive at any unanimous decision. Hence, the minister has decided to set up a committee to verify the facts presented by representatives of four organizations which suggested different names for the road. The committee will have to present factual information in the next meeting, which will be decided by the minister.” said Deputy Commissioner. MCC Commissioner Mohammed Nazeer, MCC Mayor Kavitha Sanil, MLA J R Lobo, were among others present during the meet.

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Prabhumi
7 years ago

Sir,
Need to check bye laws of naming roads in Mangalore corporation
I was given to understand that the corporation has the right to change or, re name any road after 3 years.
This was told to me by the corp. lawyer.

I / he could be wrong
Prabhum

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