Town Hall could be named as ‘Kudmul Ranga Rao Hall’

Town Hall could be named as ‘Kudmul Ranga Rao Hall’

Mangaluru: While on the other hand there has been a controversy going on the renaming of ‘St Aloysius College Road Vs Mulky Sunder ran Shetty Road’, here we have now a yet another renaming issue- and this time it’s not a “Road” instead a “Town Hall” which has had its name as “Town Hall” for over 50 years. Bit during a council meeting of Mangaluru city Corporation (MCC) on Monday, 31 July 2017, adopted a major resolution to rename “Mangaluru Town Hall” after social reformer “Kudmul Ranga Rao”.

This proposal to name town hall after Kudmul Ranga Rao was put forth during the council meeting by chief whip of the MCC council Shashidhar Hegde and a resolution was adopted on July 29, 2016. It was noted that even though suggestions and objections were invited as per rules through two Kannada newspapers, but as per Hegde the city corporation has not received any objection so far. “There no need of government approval to rename Town Hall as the property belongs to the MCC. However, legal opinion will be sought before finalizing the decision during the next council meeting.” clarified Sashidhar Hegde.

In the meantime, you never no-there could be other organizations/ Sanghas or other Saffron groups who may come forward with their proposals to rename Town hall after their choice. Until then everyone has to keep their fingers crossed, as to what the present Town Hall would be rechristened as- so till the name change game is over “Mangaluru Town Hall” will remain as “Mangaluru Town Hall”- rest is history!

And if you are wondering why Town Hall has to be renamed after Kudmul Ranga Rao, know more about his history- who was born on June 29 1859 and died on January 30, 1928, was a social reformer from Kudmul village in Dakshina Kannada district. He worked to empower backward classes socially by establishing “Depressed Classes Mission” in 1897 in Mangaluru for providing education, better housing, drinking water and empowering the backward classes socially by guarding them against exploitation by upper classes.

Born into a middle-class Chitrapur Saraswat Brahmin community, his father, Devappayya, worked as a clerk under a landlord and his mother, Gauri, a housewife. Ranga Rao completed his primary education in Kasaragod, before losing his father when he was 16. Moving to Mangaluru in search of a job, he began working as a teacher for a monthly salary of Rs8. Completing his matriculation amid financial difficulties through a correspondence course, he cleared the leadership examination, that certified him argue for a client in courts. Following this, he began his career as a lawyer in the City.

Ranga Rao as an advocate in profession was better known as ‘the poor man’s lawyer’. ‘Education is the source of progress’ was his tenet. At a time when the depressed classes had no schools, when they were treated with scorn, he stepped forward as a crusader for the cause. Albeit facing grave opposition, he continued to combat the orthodox beliefs of the then superstitious Indian society. Rao set up schools in Kankanady, Bannanje, Mulky, Belur, Udupi, Nejaru, Atthavara, Baabuguddde, Dhaddal forests for the downtrodden. He called them ‘Panchama schools’. To persuade the kids to attend schools, he arranged for mid day meals and 2 paise per day to the parents to develop an interest and motivate the families to get their progeny to schools. It is said that he bathed the young kids, sat with them for lunch, slept in their huts to win over their hearts. He freed many servants and slaves from the clutches of demanding and barbarous masters. Despite being threatened myriad times, his grit and gusto could not be dampened.

By marrying off his own widowed daughter, Radhabai to P. Subbarayan, the zamindar of Kumaramangalam, he set an example of inter-caste marriage and Widow Re-Marriage in India. Following his inspiration, M K Gandhi’s son entered wedlock with Chakravarthi Rajagopalachari’s daughter. Mahatma Gandhi had once said, “I discerned social loyalty from Ranga Rao. He is an inspiration and a guide for me. He is my teacher when it comes to the upliftment of the untouchables”.