Bengaluru: Days after Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar proposed to rename Ramanagara district as ‘Bengaluru South’, Karnataka Minister M B Patil on Friday said that there have been demands to rename Vijayapura district after the 12th-century social reformer Basaveshwara, also known as Basavanna. He also mentioned that there is nothing wrong in renaming the entire state of Karnataka as 'Basava Nadu,' which means the 'Land of Basava.'
Karnataka Large and Medium Industries Minister it is natural as this district is the birthplace of Basavanna, and there is nothing wrong in it. "During the 'Hoysala' period, the region was known as Vijayapura, later under Adil Shahi dynasty's rule, it became Bijapur. The name was changed back to Vijayapura. Now, many people have demanded that it be renamed as Basaveshwara district. It is natural as this district is the birthplace of Basavanna, and there is nothing wrong in it," Patil, who represents the Bableshwar constituency in Vijayapura district, said.
'Will discuss with CM'
He further said that he would discuss renaming Vijayapura after Basaveshwara with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. "There are some technical issues though. Bijapur became Vijayapura, and if it has to become Basaveshwara, there will be some inconvenience, as change in nomenclature will have to be done in a lot of places. There are such concerns raised. I will discuss with the chief minister and after considering pros and cons, we will decide."
Vijayapura was formerly known as Bijapur until 2014 when the Central government approved the renaming of 12 cities in the State, including its capital, changing it from Bangalore to Bengaluru.
'Our land should become Basava Nadu'
Responding to a question regarding his opinion about renaming Karnataka as 'Basava Nadu', Patil said, "It's natural, what’s wrong in it? It was Basavanna who gave 'Anubhava Mantapa', the first Parliament of the world. He gave the social concept. We keep saying that our land should become 'Basava Nadu' and that we must embrace 'Basava Samskruti'."
He said that there are demands to declare Basavanna as Karnataka’s cultural icon or leader. "There are also demands to name the entire metro rail network (in Bengaluru) after Basaveshwara. Similarly, the Vijayapura airport must be named after him. Will discuss with the chief minister and take an appropriate decision."
Basavanna, a 12th-century social reformer, is recognised for laying the foundation of the Lingayat community, which comprises approximately 17 per cent of Karnataka's population, with a significant presence in the North Karnataka region. MB Patil, an advocate for renaming Karnataka as 'Basava Nadu,' is a member of this community.
(With PTI inputs)
