Letter to Honorable Chief Minister of Karnataka
Shri Dharam Singh
Honorable Chief Minister of Karnataka
Vidhana Soudha
Bangalore
560001
Email:
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Sub: With respect to State Government’s proposal to rename ‘Mangalore’
Dear Shri Dharam Singh,
I would like to draw your kind attention regarding recent newspaper reports that the State Government has decided to change the name of Mangalore to Mangalooru. It seems that the Government of Karnataka is caving in to the general phony nationalism which has been sweeping the country and is in a haste to do away with something without consulting the people.
I would like to remind the State Government that for years the native Konkani speaking people have been calling Mangalore as Kodiyal, Tulu speaking people call it Kudla and Kannada speakers call it Mangalooru, while the neighbouring Keralites call it Mangalapuram. These names are unique and represent the rich culture, heritage and reflect the tolerant spirit of our people. These names are very much entwined with our identity constituting every aspect of our day to day life. Majority of the people consider Kannada, only as an official language and generally speak their mother tongue, Tulu or Konkani. By deciding to change the name in a language only considered as an official language, I think the Government is enforcing its decision with scant regard to the sentiments of the local people.
We pride in ourselves with these names as they remind us of our past and motivates us towards a glorious future. I strongly request you not to embark on a collision course with our history and urge you to withhold from any such imminent legislation. Moreover, the need to change the name of Mangalore to Mangalooru is not at all an issue with the local people.
I sincerely hope that you will review the situation with utmost urgency in order to maintain the status quo and continue with the other pressing issues concerning the development of the region.
Sincerely,
Vijay K D’Souza
Date: January 17, 2006
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