'Changing the name of Basavanagudi is like changing our identity'

About 40 residents of Basavanagudi marched from Nettakallappa Circle to the Bull Temple on Saturday evening to oppose the renaming of the iconic neighbourhood. 

In September, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) gave a new name to 14 wards. Basavanagudi is now Dodda Ganapathi.

BBMP chief commissioner Tushar Giri Nath had earlier told DH that the decision was taken by the ward delimitation committee after seeking “public opinion”.

However, residents say they received no prior notification. They learned it accidentally – a resident found the name ‘Basavanagudi’ missing from the ward gazette one day.

Later, through a signature campaign, she learnt that other residents were clueless as well. 

Basavanagudi’s bull

The march was marked by sloganeering, drum beats, and a decorated bull. The bull is closely tied to the history of Basavanagudi. Basavanagudi means ‘Basava’s temple’. Basava is the bull associated with the god Shiva. Halfway through the protest walk, local police objected to slogan shouting. Cops kept the rush-hour traffic moving.

The protest was called by Basavanagudi ward residents’ group, which has about 350 members. “Changing the Basavanagudi is like changing our identity. We are planning to go to the court,” says Satyalaxmi Rao, president. 

Mamatha Gopinath, who joined the protest with her sons and husband, echoed the same sentiment.

“I am a Basavanagudi resident and I am also married to one. I want my children and grandchildren to grow up with that association too,” explained Mamatha, who works with a tech solutions firm.

Businessman Maanyanath R C, 28, felt the decision was politically motivated to woo certain sections of the “vote bank”.

Impact on passport, Aadhaar

For Satyalaxmi, it is a sign of government apathy.

“Authorities will change the name and move on. It’s the citizens who will suffer. Address mismatch will become a problem on the passport and Aadhaar card,” she rued.

Residents slam MLA

Angry scenes broke out when Basavanagudi MLA L A Ravi Subramanya showed up at the march about 20 minutes after it began.

Visibly shocked, Satyalaxmi was heard shouting ‘We did not invite him. He is the one who signed (the document for name change).”

Sanjay Patil, a member of the ward association, shared Satyalaxmi’s disaffection.

He said, “This is a protest by the residents, for the residents. He showed up uninvited. How can the name change without his approval? Now that residents are angry, he and his gang have come to support the citizens. He is putting up a show.”

‘Cheap politics’

Addressing the crowd at the end of the march, Subramanya said he did not know about the name change and blamed it on “cheap” politics. “Just like (ward) delimitation, no proper consultation was done for name change. This government is functioning like the Tughlaq’s rule,” he said.

He assured the residents he would raise their demand in the upcoming assembly session at Belagavi.

“Deputy CM D K Shivakumar, who is also the Bengaluru development minister, will have to answer. I request (parties) not to politicise this issue and unite to ensure the name is not changed,” he added.