Pics: Abhijith N Kolpe
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (ANK)
Mangaluru, Sep 23: St Aloysius College management has expressed displeasure regarding the overnight decision of local administration to rename St Aloysius College road to Mulky Sundaram Shetty road on Wednesday, September 23.
Addressing media here on Wednesday, September 23 the registrar in-charge Dr Alwyn D'Sa said, "We strongly condemn this one-sided decision carried out by the administration over renaming St Aloysius College road to Mulky Sundaram Shetty road without any discussions. Although a notification on this was released on September 5, the decision was announced overnight and the renaming ceremony took place on September 23. The decision was carried out in a hushed manner and amid coronavirus pandemic, there was politics at play here."
"This draconian decision has hurt the sentiments of thousands of passionate admirers of St Aloysius College educational institutions. In 1976 the road was named St Aloysius College road by the Mangaluru municipality under the presidentship of Late Blasius D'Souza. The management was successful in bringing the stay order on July 2017 to the order issued by the state government on May 24, 2017 asking for renaming of the road. In response to this, the Vijaya Bank employees association filed a writ appeal against the stay order which was turned down by the high court," said Alwyn D'Sa.
"The judgement delivered on April 11, 2019 by the high court had directed the civic authorities to call both parties concerned and reach an amicable settlement. St Aloysius College management in its memorandum submitted on February 19, 2020, made a plea to involve the College in all the future deliberations on the issue," he added.
"The way order was passed and ceremony was conducted is highly condemnable as it was done without any discussion. St Aloysius College was sidelined and socially distanced. We were called on February 19 to submit our statement in the presence of commissioner regarding the issue and ever since then we were not communicated over the development of road renaming issue," said Alwyn D'Sa.
Rector St Aloysius Institutions, Fr Melwin Pinto said, "We do not have any problem with Mulky Sundaram Shetty or Vijaya Bank. I cannot understand the logic in being adamant to rename this stretch as Mulky Sundaram Shetty. When Vijaya Bank was merged with Bank of Baroda not a single person uttered a word. It is a shameful act, that 140 years of service of this college has been sidelined, within no time and a decision was taken overnight to rename the road."
"Coronavirus pandemic is prevailing in the district, instead of taking measure to control the virus, authorities are involved in renaming the roads. What is the need to rename a road which already exists. There are many such roads which do not have any names, no one will object naming them. Why such adamant behaviour towards renaming this road when the even the Bank head office does not exist here, this is unacceptable," he stressed.
"There are public sentiments attached with St Aloysius College which is being ignored, that is painful. The St Aloysius College road name was given in 1976 as a recognition for the service rendered by the College. However, now it has been changed which shows unworthiness and is an insult to our institution," said Fr Melwin Pinto.
Principal in-charge Dr Denis Fernandes, Student Council president Gavin Abner Pinto, College Alumni Association's Santhosh Kumar Kadri, N G Mohan and others were present.