Malleswaram’s 18th Cross Circle near Sankey tank has been renamed as Gokak Circle, in the memory of writer V K Gokak who headed a panel recommending primacy for Kannada.
He started the Gokak movement that sprung forth in the 1980s.
The movement was led by Kannada matinee idol Dr Rajkumar with others from the film fraternity, besides poets, writers and research scholars who fought for the first language status for Kannada, as recommended by Gokak.
Rajkumar’s 12-feet statue, a replication of the actor in the Gokak movement, was also unveiled on the occasion.
“We spent Rs 1 crore on the project. While the statue cost us Rs 50 lakh, we spent an additional Rs 50 lakh on developing the park. I’m sure this would be a major tourist attraction in the city,” Malleswaram MLA C N Ashwath Narayana said.
Ahead of the statue’s unveiling, a large procession was organised from the Malleswaram grounds to the 18th Cross, where thousands of schoolchildren and Kannada activists took part. Due to the Kannada Rajyotsava celebrations, traffic in the city was blocked in many places,
including Malleswaram and its vicinity.
Traffic blockage was also seen at Kempegowda Road, Corporation Circle and the Majestic area due to processions taken out on the 63rd Kannada
Rajyotsava.
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