‘Rename Mangaluru airport after U S Mallya’

Bhamy V Shenoy, who runs an NGO called Mysore Grahakara Parishat, has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to rename Mangalore International Airport after Ullal Srinivas Mallya, who is widely hailed as the architect of modern Mangaluru.

Shenoy, who hails from Bantwal in Dakshina Kannada district, is the grandson of the elder brother of U Srinivas Mallya.

In the letter, he has stated that Dakshina Kannada MP Nalin Kumar Kateel has already approached the government in this regard.

“In one sense, a tall leader like U S Mallya does not need any institute to be named to honour him. He is recognised as an architect of former Dakshina Kannada.

“Such projects like Bajpe Airport, All India Radio station, Mangalore Port, National Institute of Technology Karnataka, Surathkal, railway line between Mangaluru and Bengaluru, remind the people of his contribution. By naming the airport after U S Mallya, we are not only honouring him, but also honour India’s civilizational value of remembering the good deeds of a person and showing our gratitude,” he said.

“It is high time that our country honours a great freedom fighter like U S Mallya when his own party of which he has served as General Secretary of All India Congress Committee has failed to honour him.”

He has further stated that in today’s political environment it was not easy to find tall leaders of national stature, who are prepared to work honestly for all sections of the society (real inclusiveness not in words, but in deeds) with a single-minded goal to work for India’s development and who sacrificed his wealth for freedom struggle.

“By honoring such a person you are presenting a role model for the present and future generation. India needs such role models. Much has been written about Mallya’s contribution to Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts, but his contribution to the nation as a leader with sterling qualities have not been properly projected. Nation does not know the critical role Mallya played in electing Lal Bahadur Shashtri as Prime Minister of India after Pandit Nehru,” Mallya stated in the letter.