Mangaluru: The Communist Party of India (CPI) Mangaluru taluk committee has requested the govt not to change the name of Dakshina Kannada district.
Dakshina Kannada, in particular, stands out as distinct politically, socially, and economically compared to other districts in the state,” he said. In a letter to chief minister DK Shivakumar, CPI district secretary B Shekhar stated that although demands for renaming the district arose in the past from certain sources—mainly from people residing in Mangaluru city—it has never been the demand of the majority across the district. “The communities in other towns and villages of Dakshina Kannada do not appear to support changing the district’s name. As we have observed, the majority of people in this district do not desire a name change,” he stated.
“Kannada is the official state language. The word ‘Kannada’ is embedded in the name ‘Dakshina Kannada’ itself, and it has served as an inspiration for the language. it is the people of Dakshina Kannada who speak literary Kannada While Kannada is spoken in various dialects across different regions of the state. Even though Tulu is their native language, they accord high priority to Kannada. Many eminent literary icons of Kannada hail from Dakshina Kannada. For all these reasons, and to preserve and foster the uniqueness and distinct identity of this region, the name of Dakshina Kannada district should not be changed under any circumstance,” the party urged.