MANGALURU: With the demand to officially rename Dakshina Kannada district to Mangaluru intensifying each passing day, the district administration is preparing to submit a proposal suggesting the same to the Karnataka state government, said Deputy Commissioner H V Darshan.
The decision to put forth a proposal was made during the District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee (DISHA) meeting, after Belthangady MLA Harish Poonja urged the administration to pass a resolution in support of the name change. He emphasised that renaming the district would strengthen the "Mangaluru" brand, which already holds strong national and international recognition.
The proposal was seconded by MP Capt. Brijesh Chowta and other stakeholders at the meeting, with officials stating that a formal recommendation would be forwarded to the government shortly.
Meanwhile, Dayanand Kathalsar of Mangaluru District Tulu Movement Committee and former chairman of Karnataka Tulu Sahitya Academy at a press briefing demanded the government to rename DK as Mangaluru district.
He said that even in the Sangam literature, there is a mention of 'Tulunadu' and during Vijayanagara empire, Tulunadu was divided into 'Mangaluru Rajya' and 'Barkur Rajya'.
"Though we are freed from the rule of the Portuguese and the British, names like 'South Canara' or the Dakshina Kannada given during their period are still used, which need to be changed," he said.
KPCC general secretary Rakshit Shivaram said that when SM Krishna was the chief minister, he came up with the Brand Bengaluru concept similarly it is a time for 'Brand Mangaluru'.
"We will soon meet the chief minister, DCM, the home minister and the district incharge minister and all the elected representatives and submit a memorandum. The present name is 'Dakshina Kannada' but we are not in the southern part of the state, instead we are in the Western part of the state. The highways, airport, port and the railway stations here are named after Mangaluru hence the district should also get the same name," he said.