Shailaja N

Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru

Mangaluru, Aug 30: At the junction where three roads converge near the entrance gate of the Old Port, stands a circle built in memory of John Sturrock, the 33rd deputy commissioner of the then South Canara district. Unfortunately, the circle has fallen into neglect and poor maintenance.

Near the Old Port gate, in the middle of the road, Sturrock Circle, a square-shaped structure rests on a concrete foundation, carrying an inscription about John Sturrock. During his tenure as commissioner, Harish Kumar had reinstalled the iron structure that was part of the circle and restored its shape.

In 2017, a lorry rammed into the circle, causing it to lose its original form. Though it was repaired after several months, it has once again suffered repeated damage. Some vehicles entering or exiting the port brush against the circle, worsening its condition. A high-mast light pole and a CCTV camera pole have been installed nearby, while croton plants have been placed along the divider. The paint has faded, and moss has grown due to the rains.

The younger generation, especially the youth, hardly know anything about former deputy commissioner John Sturrock. Even the circle named after him is known to very few, mostly the elderly. Newly posted officials in the district are also unaware of it. In Falnir, however, the road connecting Avery Junction to Attavar Katte continues to bear his name as ‘Sturrock Road’.