The Fight Continues on Circle Renaming ! Catholic Sabha/Nuns/PTA/Rotarian’s Meet DC, Mayor & Commissioner

The Fight Continues on Lady Hill Circle Renaming to Sri Narayana Guru ! Catholic Sabha-Mangaluru Pradesh Nuns, Parents Teachers’ Association (PTA) and Old-students of St Ann’s Ladyhill Victoria Girls High School, Rotarian’s Meet Deputy Commissioner Dr K V Rajendra, Mangaluru City Corporation Mayor Diwakar Pandeshwar and MCC Commissioner Akshy Sridhar, on objection regarding change of name of Lady Hill Junction/Circle, on Monday, 21 September 2020

Mangaluru: Even though a resolution in regards to rename Lady Hill Junction/Circle to Sri Narayana Guru, a Philosopher and Social Reformer was expected to be part of the agenda at MCC’s second council meeting, which will be chaired by Mayor Diwakar Pandeshwar on Tuesday, 22 September, and as per rumours this morning, MCC has decided to defer the proposal as citizens have been raising objections and putting pressure on MCC not to rename Lady Hill Circle. However, not going by such rumours, President of Catholic Sabha-Mangaluru Pradesh-Rolphy D’costa, All India Catholic Union (AICU) president-Lancy D’cunha; Apostolic Carmel Sisters of Lady Hill School/PUC ( Sr Rosilda AC-Superior/Joint secretary, and Dr Ujwala AC-Principal of Lady Hill PUC; members of PTA P.T.A Vice President Rajesh Shetty and Member Vijendra Shetty, and Old-students of LH School, Rotarians, among few other concerned Citizens, on Monday 21 September met Deputy Commissioner Dr K V Rajendra, Mangaluru City Corporation Mayor Diwakar Pandeshwar and MCC Commissioner Akshy Sridhar, on objection regarding change of name of Lady Hill Junction/Circle.

Following an article by Team Mangalorean on Sunday, 20 September ( Ref :Resolution to be made by MCC Renaming Lady Hill Circle after Sri Narayana Guru Opposed  ), and also thousands of members of “Save LadyHill Circle”signing petitions and emailing letters to DC, Mayor and MCC Commissioner, it looks like the fight continues for justice, in order to retain the original name of Ladyhill Junction/Circle, existed for over a century. It should be noted that Ladyhill has its own historical significance – The Apostolic Carmel Sisters landed in Mangaluru from Beyonne, France, and started its Mission of Education. In 1885 when Mother Marie Des Anges first Superior General came down to Mangaluru, local people requested her to open a school for girls. St Ann’s Ladyhill Victoria Girls High School was started in a hilly area:

Handing Over of Memorandum to DC Dr Rajendra K V in his office

A large number of girls were being educated in the said school. The term Ladyhill assumes its importance mainly for the reason that girl children were provided education. As a mark of respect for women empowerment, everybody called the area ‘Ladyhill’. Thousands of women have benefited through education here. Hence historical significance of this area cannot be allowed to be changed, since more than 100 years the said place is called Ladyhill Junction/Ladyhill Circle. A bunch of citizens, who are the patrons, old-students of this School had requested the Mangaluru City Corporation not to permit any changes and maintain the status quo.

Meeting MCC Mayor Diwakar Pandeshwar at his residence

Sources reveal that Senior BJP corporator Premanand Shetty, who is also the chief whip in MCC council, said the proposal will not be included in the agenda of the next council meeting. “We have discussed the issue and it is not easy to rename a circle/ road if it has a name. We can move a proposal if a circle or road has no official name. The town planning section has suggested scrutiny of the proposal through the standing committee. Further, if people object strongly for any such proposals, it will be difficult for the council to adopt a resolution. Hence, this proposal will not be part of the agenda in the next council meeting,” he added.

Meeting BJP Corporator & Chief Whip in MCC Council Premanand Shetty at his residence

Speaking to Team Mangalorean, Sr Ujwala AC, the Principal of LadyHill Pre-University College said, “This morning twelve of us, including Sisters from Ladyhill convent, PTA members and old Students and a few Rotarians went to Mayor Diwakar’s house in Pandeshwar, and even though he was reluctant to meet us, but after a while, he came out and addressing us assured that he will look into the matter and discuss with other MCC Councillors. Later, we along with Catholic Sabha members met DC Dr Rajendra, who also assured us that he will look into the history of Ladyhill, and do the needful accordingly. We had also met BJP corporator and chief whip in MCC Council Premanand Shetty at his residence, who also assured us support in this regard, and said that he too will discuss the subject with other MCC Councillors. We have been getting tremendous support from all quarters pertaining to this issue, and we hope that we will win the battle, in retaining our century old Ladyhill Circle name”.

Meeting MCC Commissioner Akshy Sridhar in his Chamber, MCC building

Ladyhill school was started by Apostolic Carmel Sisters under the patronage of our Lady of Mount Carmel. Lady of Mount Carmel refers to Mary Mother of Jesus Christ. Catholics revere Mother Mary and it has religious significance also. Change of existing status quo will wound religious feelings of lakhs of Catholics residents of Mangalore City. Hence in the interest of maintaining communal harmony also it is just and necessary to retain the same name. In the said area, a large number of Catholics also reside. Now if the name is altered, it will hurt religious feelings of Catholics and also it will twist the history. Earlier in the year 2003 and in the year 2018, an attempt was made to change the name of Ladyhill Junction but because of the objections raised by the public, the said proposal was dropped. Hence it is unfair to change the name of the circle,now.

And if you look at some of the roads/junctions/circles, which have been renamed in the past, most of them still continue to be remembered by the people with their old/original names, like- “Dr B R Ambedkar Circle” is one of the best examples as people still remember it as Jyothi Circle. Similarly, “Pumpwell Circle” was renamed as Mahaveer Circle, but people still go by its old name. Similar is the case of Mangalore International Airport road from Karnataka Polytechnic (KPT) Junction to Maravoor that was renamed after Bharat Rathna Sir M Visvesvaraya, a project undertaken by the Association of Consulting Civil Engineers (ACCE-I) in 2012. Then we have “Mother Theresa Road” but the road is still referred as “Falnir Road”; and road name changed to “Blasius D’souza Road”, still people go by the old name “Bendore-well road”. And people still remember the controversy surrounded the proposal of renaming a road from Catholic Club and Ambedkar Circle, from St Aloysius Collge Road/Light House Hill Road” to “Mulky Sunder Ram Shetty Road”.

Many citizens want to keep the old street names because they have become a part of their identity. For many of us, street names are no more than simple signposts. Many experts believe it does. If nothing else, most of us say or type our street name on a daily basis, as we give our physical address over the telephone or enter it into a website. For most of us, it is our cultural capital, our cultural history. And it is observed in the breach – you most notice it when a street name is changed. It’s the same as a church or a temple or Mosque being knocked down: you may never have walked into that church/temple/Mosque, you may not be religious, and yet, to most of us, it is an affront, an insult: Someone has changed my environment without consulting me.

How the streets get their new names is a fascinating story, and one that highlights the tension between those in power and those they rule. In this regard, it could be the power or influential connection of a “Particular” community which has been trying to dominate Mangaluru City in many issues- and now wants to change a Circle name connected to a Catholic institution. And that MCC is bowing down to them is not right- MCC which should be neutral in such decisions and should not go out of its way-thereby creating disharmony among communities. There are many civic issues, like bad roads, dilapidated footpaths, bad drainage, flooding of roads, Covid-19 crisis etc etc- MCC should concentrate on these issues, rather than jump into this matter, renaming of a Circle. That environment is evolving all the time, but changing street names etc, as MCC is doing in this regard is unusual. Some locals are really anal about what streets are called, others don’t care that much. Street names have substantial symbolic and historical value, and conflicts over the naming – and renaming – of streets have become a regular part of regime changes.

Sources reveal that there is a Protocol for renaming roads- Every time a road or an area is renamed, questions are raised over the procedure and logic behind the process. Names can be mooted by anyone, either the public or the MCC council. The proposal for renaming is then published in newspapers and objections are invited. On receiving objections, they are discussed in the council for approval. In the absence of a council, the administrator takes a decision. The approved resolution is moved to the Urban Development Department, Government of Karnataka which renames places in the city, it is said. After this, an intimation about the same is sent to the Department of Posts. Will the protocol be followed in this case? Controversy over renaming of Lady Hill Circle’ may refuse to die down. So, it would be wise, that a compromise could be made in this issue, to avoid unnecessary trouble. Anyways, in the end who wins this battle, we will have to wait and see! Until then, all you fans of Ladyhill institution, join the fight and win the battle for a Good Cause! Long Live Ladyhill Education Institution and Long Live the LadyHill Junction/Circle!