Tumakuru: Minister makes peace with Kurubas

Tumakuru: The row over the naming of a circle in Huliyaru town in Chikkanayakanahalli, ended on Thursday after the authorities decided to reinstall the signboard calling it the Kanakadasa Circle, in honour of the 16 century poet revered by the Kurubas.

Law minister Madhuswamy, who met Niranjananda Swami at the Kanakapeeta in Harihara taluk , Davangere to resolve the controversy  amicably, told reporters later that he had never opposed naming the Huliyaru circle after Kanakadasa and had no intention of hurting the sentiments of his followers.

Going by a resolution of 2005-06 when Huliyaru was still a gram panchayat, the Huliyaru Circle was re-named the Kanakadasa Circle. But when some road work was undertaken via Huliyaru, the Kanakadasa signboard was removed and when the Kuruba community decided to reinstate it after the work was completed, it came up against opposition from another dominant community of the town.
“We wanted to hold the Kanakadasa Jayanthi this month  by re-instating the Kanakadasa Circle signboard but some people objected to this,”  said a Kuruba leader. While the Kuruba community now seems happy with the reinstatement of the Kanakadasa signboard at the circle, it is adamant that Mr Madhuswamy, who represents the Chikkanayanakanahalli constituency, should resign for his “objectionable comments” against its  seer.

Speaking to DC, Mr Siddaramanna, a Kuruba and ZP member, said the community would meet  on November 25 to chalk out its future course of action to pressure  Mr Madhuswamy to  resign.

 “A mere apology from the minister is not enough. We want his resignation,”  emphasised. The community has also demanded the minister’s resignation in a memorandum to Governor Vajubhai Vala.

 It was at a peace meeting on the row over the signboard that the minister is said to have lost his temper and abused the pontiff, who was present along with leaders of the Lingayat community. As a video clip of the meeting  went viral on social media, Kuruba community leaders took strong objection to Mr. Madhuswamy’s treatment of their pontiff and demanded an apology from him. As political parties tried to hijack the issue, CM B.S. Yediyurapa intervened on Wednesday and apologising on the minister’s behalf,   assured that there would be no change in the name of  Kanakadasa Circle.