Belgaum name issue drives a wedge again

BELGAUM: As expected, Kannadigas expressed happiness over renaming of Belgaum into Belagavi, while pro-Maharashtrians strongly opposed the move, as it is a pure Kannada word.Belgaum is one of the 12 cities for which the Centre’s Survey of India Department has approved a change of name.As per the suggestion of Jnanapith awardee U R Ananthamurthy, the then Congress government led by former chief minister N Dharam Singh had recommended to the Union Government to change the names of the 12 cities. The Karnataka government had tabled the proposal for changing the names six years ago.The Karnataka High Court had dismissed the petitions filed by two persons objecting to change in the names of Belgaum and Bangalore. Meanwhile, the organisations like Karnataka Rakshana Vedike and Kannada Organisations Action Committee welcomed the move. Pro-Marathis opposeAs Belagavi is a pure Kannada word, pro-Maharashtrians are irked with the change and urged the administration not to use the new name. A few pro-Maharashtrain organisations asked not to use the name.