Nod for Brahmavar, Moodbidri taluks - decades of struggle yield fruits
Suvarna Brahmavar
Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (SP)
Udupi, Feb 9: The demand for carving out separate Brahmavar taluk from Udupi taluk, which has been in vogue since the last 35 years, finally found acceptance when Karnataka chief minister Jagadish Shettar, while presenting the budget this year, announced the government’s decision to accord taluk status to Brahmavar.
The demand got further thrust and intensity after Barkur Satish Poojary took up leadership of the Taluk Action Committee sometime back, and put in concerted efforts and organized agitations including the hunger strike undertaken on February 4 in a determined bid to convince the government to wake up to the need of creating Brahmavar taluk.
Undivided Udupi taluk
New Brahmavar taluk
The committees in 1975 and 1986 headed respectively by M Vasudeva Rao and Hundekar, as well as the Hundekar committee in 1986, which went into the desirability of forming Brahmavar taluk, had strongly supported the idea. However, the M B Prakash committee of 2008 was not too much favourable, and hence there was a setback to the above efforts.
Brahmavar taluk will comprise of areas falling under the present Udupi taluk, located to the north of Suvarna river. It will spread over 91 gram panchayats and two hoblis that are covered by 34 gram panchayats. Manoor in Kota revenue division, Kaadoor, Shirur and Padutonse will be the villages located on the four borders of the new taluk.
The new taluk has two police stations at Kota and Brahmavar. Office of Brahmavar police circle inspector, office of the special tahsildar of Brahmavar, Saligrama town panchayat, Mescom office, office of the sub registrar, regional agricultural research station at Brahmavar, forest, horticulture, agricultural department offices, Nada Kacheri, office of the revenue inspector in Kota, and travelers bungalow of Kota are the noteworthy offices of various departments stationed within the new Brahmavar taluk. The special tahsildar was appointed for speeding up the work of creating the taluk at Brahmavar on August 13, 2003.
Presently, 252 primary and high schools are located within this taluk, in addition to 11 PU colleges, five colleges, and two training centres. Approximate population of the taluk will be 2.08 lac. The villages in the taluk at present stand distributed over three different assembly constituencies, Kaup, Udupi, and Kundapur.
Scores of temples, Jain Basadis, temples and shrines of various deities are located in Barkur, located a little distance away from Brahmavar. Barkur used to be the headquarters of the rulers of Tulunadu in the past. Foreign trade used to be conducted with the Barkur rulers through Barkur port (present Hangarakatta). Barkur also boasts of a church dating back to the British era, a railway station, government degree college, seven tanks, etc. The palace built of mud in Sooralu, Goddess Durgaparameshwari temple in Mandarti that finds mention in various mythological stories, and Hirimahalingeshwara temple in Kota that is said to be over 1,000 years old, have brought glory to the region. The taluk also has given birth to and nurtured Yakshagana troupes like Neelavara, Kota Amriteshwari, Saligrama, and Goligaradi. Goddess Amriteshwari temple in Kota has thousands of devotees. The taluk has a total of 241 temples, 22 mosques, and 15 churches.
Paddy is the most important crop raised in the taluk, while betel nut, sugarcane, Bengal gram, vegetables etc are also grown. Kannada is the leading language used here, followed by Tulu, Konkani, Marathi, and Urdu.
The new taluk needs to pick up momentum in the matters of infrastructure and rural development. Underground drainage and disposal of waste are neglected so far. The people hope that Brahmavar will get a facelift with modern facilities, and that they will be able to save time and efforts in getting the work done at Brahmavar instead of having to visit Udupi for everything. The cane growers also hope that Brahmavar Sugar Company, which is defunct now, will get rejuvenated again.
Satish Poojary Barkur, president, Brahmavar Taluk Action Committee, has extended greetings and thanks to chief minister, Jagadish Shettar, minister, Kota Srinivas Poojary, MLA, K Raghupati Bhat, office bearers of the committee, students, members of various organizations, and the general public, for their contributions in realizing the dream of creating Brahmavar taluk.
Dream comes true for Moodbidri
Shekar Ajjekar
Daijiworld Media Network - Moodbidri (DV)
Moodbidri, Feb 9: The long cherished dream of many locals came true on Friday February 8 when chief minister Jagadish Shettar announced Moodbidri as a taluk.
Moodbidri was the capital of the Jain Chowta kings and was rich in natural resources. In 1910 Moodbidri remained a taluk for three years. In 1913, Sadashiva Rao, the most influential person of Karkala under the British regime, influenced the then collector to transfer and shift Moodbidri taluk center to Karkala’s Kukundloor gram panchayat.
From the past 50 years, leaders of all political parties have been trying to get taluk status to Moodbidri. But even during the term of Veerappa Moily and Sadananda Gowda as chief ministers, Moodbidri was not made a taluk.
During the tenure of S M Krishna, a tahsildar with full rights was appointed for Moodbidri. The city has a civil court, taluk magistrate court, ranger office, town municipality, Nadakacheri, Raitha Samparka Kendra, circle inspector station, sub-division office, three engineering colleges, three degree colleges, four to six junior colleges, schools, and is a educational hub.
Three committees were formed to study about Moodbidri and its potential as a taluk. They were M Vasudev committee, T M Hundekar committee and P C Gaddigoudar committee.
MLA S D Samrajya, in 1964, wrote a letter to chief minister Nijalingappa to consider Moodbidri a taluk. After him, Amarnath Shetty and Abbayachandra Jain continued the struggle.
Historian Suryanath Kamath also suggested Moodbidri be made a taluk. As per T M Hundekar committee’s report Pranthya, Marpady, Puttige, Kalmunkoor, Kadandale, Paladka, Belvai, Padumarnad, Mudumarnad, Kellaputtige, Dera Gudde, Panthila, Nellikaru, Mantradi, Sirtadi, Valapady, Muddu Konaje, Padu Konaje, Marlooru, Puchamoogaru, Karinge, Kallabettu, Hosabettu, Eruvailu, Todar, Badaga Mijar, Nitodi, Kamthavara, Eddhu, Noral Bettu, Naravi, Kuthlooru, Sulkeri, Kokradi, Andinge, Ganduri, Venooru, Modu Kodi, Karimanelu, Badakodi, Arambodi, Kashipatna, Perdady, Savya, Marodi, Posangadi,Thenkai Edda Padavu, Bada Edda Padavu, Muchooru and Koompadavu come under this taluk.