Leaders object to changing of Kannada names in Kerala's Kasargod district

Bengaluru: The JDS and a BJP MP have objected to the reported changing of Kannada names of some places in Kerala's Kasaragod district, which borders Karnataka.

According to Mysuru BJP MP Pratap Simha, Madhuru will be known as Madhuram, Malla- Mallam, Karadka -- Kadagam, Bedadka -- Bedagam, Kumble -- Kumbla, Pilikunje -- Pilikunnu, Anebagilu -- Anavadukkal, Hosadurga -- Pudiyakota, Sasihitlu -- Thaivalappu and Mahasatigundi -- Mastikundu. In his tweet, Simha demanded that Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa intervene and speak to his Kerala counterpart Pinarayi Vijayan to stop the changing of such names.

Senior JDS leader H D Kumaraswamy in a series of tweets tried to impress upon the Vijayan-led Left Democratic Front government in Kerala -- his party is a part of it -- to "protect the sentiments" of Kannadigas living in Kasargod harmoniously with the Malayalis. He described Kasargod as a symbol of linguistic and cultural harmony.

"Though Malayalis and Kannadigas are equal in number in Kasargod, they live harmoniously complimenting and inspiring each other," the JD(S) leader said.

"There has never been any discord over language, which we need to maintain in future as well. In this era of sentiments-based politics, linguistic togetherness is imperative", Kumaraswamy added.

He said it is binding on both the governments of Karnataka and Kerala to understand the traditional sentiments of people living there and retain the old names instead of changing them.