Vatal Nagaraj of the Kannada Chaluvali Vatal Paksha and veteran journalist Patil Puttappa have urged Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to initiate steps to construct a memorial at Central College in Bengaluru to commemorate the unification of Karnataka.
Speaking to presspersons here on Friday after he a felicitation function, Mr. Puttappa said that he had written to the Chief Minister on the issue and he had promised to take it up. “Central College Ground was the venue for the birth of unified Karnataka and even if it means spending Rs. 50 crore for the memorial, it is worth it,” Mr. Puttappa said while Mr. Nagaraj concurred with him. Mr. Puttappa took exception to those raising voice for Statehood and said that unified Karnataka was there to stay and people would not support such demands.
“However, despite the unification of the State, Karnataka is yet to become united mentally and there is a need for people from Mysuru to understand the concept of unified Karnataka and stop their attempts to convert Karnataka into Mysuru. Mysuru has to become Karnataka and not the vice versa,” he said.
He said that he had high regards for Kempe Gowda and people like Puttanna Chetty, there was need for holding programmes to remember other eminent personalities including S. Nijalingappa and others who strived for the development of unified Karnataka. Mr. Nagaraj said that beginning with the diamond jubilee celebrations of the unification of Karnataka, Kannada organisations would felicitate people who fought for unification of Karnataka and Patil Puttappa would be the first person to receive the honour.
The veteran journalist has written to the Chief Minister on the issue
