Mangalore, July 29: A lot of discussions associated with renaming of the Dakshina Kannada district are on tracks these days. On this account, Deputy Commissioner A.B. Ibrahim has in a letter to Principal Secretary, department of revenue has suggested that the same name be retained.
DC said renaming the district is a sensitive and emotional issue and should be taken forward with caution. It can be noted that Mangalore, Tulunadu etc are among many other names suggested for renaming.
In his letter, DC stated that there is no need to rename the district and the name should be continued as such. The district was earlier named south Kanara district under Madras Presidency of the British government and subsequently was named Dakshina Kannada district. There are historical and traditional connotations to the name ‘Kanara’.
Adding to it, he writes, “Mangalore is the district headquarters of Dakshina Kannada district and is a distinct melting pot of various languages, religions and culture. Kannada, Tulu, Konkani, Beary, Bhovi, Malayalam, Marathi are some of the languages spoken in the region. Mangalore is called Kudla in Tulu, Kodiyal in Konkani, Maikal in Beary, Mangalapuram in Sanskrit and Malayalam respectively, and Mangalore in English.”
Considering these facts, DC said it makes sense to continue the name of the district as Dakshina Kannada.
It is learnt that proposal in this regard had been mooted during the Suvarna Karnataka celebration a few years back. Minister for revenue V. Srinivas Prasad had noted that under the proposal, districts including Dakshina Kannada and 12 other districts were to be given new names and process of making changes was on.
