JOIN USBefore opening, musical fountain sings Gandhi name
The Mangaluru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) has decided to name the musical fountain at Deer Park, a part of Kadri Park here, after former prime minister late Rajiv Gandhi.
The decision comes in the midst of a raging debate over aristocratic Gandhis (Nehru family) in the past personalising most of the government projects and schemes. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also taken a move to replace the picture of Mahatma Gandhi in the calendar of Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC).
The work on the fountain is a part of the restoration work of the park at an estimated cost of Rs 4.97 crore. It got its name only at the fag end of the project. Interestingly, the Horticulture Department, the custodian of the park, was unaware of this till recently, thanks to the unilateral decision of MUDA, tasked with implementing the project.
When DH contacted MUDA chairperson Suresh K Ballal, he attributed the decision to name the tourist attraction after Rajiv Gandhi to the latter’s immense contribution to the nation. A similar fountain near Raj Bhavan in Bengaluru is named after another former prime minister Indira Gandhi. While the name of the park will remain the same (as Kadri Deer Park, as deer were reared before being shifted to Pilikula Zoo), only fountain will be named after Rajiv Gandhi, he added.
When asked if it was legally viable, with MUDA just being a part of the project, Ballal said, a meeting of MUDA members will be convened soon to validate the decision.
H R Yogesh, deputy director of Horticulture, claimed ignorance about MUDA’s decision, although the fountain is a part of the park area. The matter will be brought to the notice of the director to prevent possible confusion.
Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat CEO M R Ravi claimed ignorance of any such development. The park is located in MCC limits, but is governed by the Horticulture Department coming under the purview of ZP, he stated.
No name
Interestingly, when the works were launched – twice, on 21 March 2015 and January 2016 – there was no mention of the name. The then urban development minister Vinay Kumar Sorake had laid foundation for the works in 2015, followed by Mangaluru South MLA J R Lobo in January last. The fountain is expected to be yet another tourist attraction in the city. It will be retelling the history of erstwhile Canara district (that was later divided into North and South Canara) with the help of a laser show on swirling water screen.
Nehru ‘n’ central
Although the ground in the heart of the city, adjacent to Town Hall, is popularly known as Nehru Maidan (named after Jawaharlal Nehru), the name still remains a contentious issue. A section of the people call it ‘central ground’ in protest against the authorities decision to name it after Nehru.