Bengaluru: The Karnataka government’s decision to approve the development of a tech park in Mangaluru has raised the possibility of the coastal city realising its full economic potential, leaving behind the stigma and perception of being a communal hotbed.
The new park will be built on 3.285 acre of land on Blueberry Hills under a Public Private Partnership (PPP) model and expected to create 11,000 direct and indirect jobs.
Karnataka minister Dinesh Gundu Rao told ThePrint that a big factor for Mangaluru not realizing its potential was the tense atmosphere created by communal tensions which were “negative points” for the region.
“There is no point blaming the previous administration. Now, it’s a good opportunity. We are looking at improving tourism potential, drafting a master plan, improving access to the city that will bring in investments and projects,” Rao, the district incharge minister of Dakshina Kannada, told ThePrint.
The government believes that new facilities and infrastructure push would transform Mangaluru into the next “high-growth corridor”.
The coastal districts, including Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, and Uttara Kannada, possess a rich cultural heritage, entrepreneurial spirit, world-class educational institutions, healthcare facilities, and connectivity, but they have been unable to realise their potential due to decades of neglect and a focus on communal politics, stakeholders from the region told ThePrint.
Although the three districts have among the highest literacy rates, with very high Human Development Index (HDI) ranking, they have been communally sensitive due to provocative speeches, social media posts and the trend of retaliatory killings between radical Hindu and Muslim groups.
“In law and order, we have taken some very strict actions, things have been brought under control, illegal activities, social media and unnecessary comments have been reduced by a big extent in the last few months,” Rao said. “That kind of tense atmosphere due to social media has been brought under control. People also feel that the police are firm and strict.”
The constant focus on its communal nature has deprived the region of its dues. For instance, four nationalised banks—Syndicate Bank, Corporation Bank, Canara Bank and Vijaya Bank—trace their roots back to Dakshina Kannada, the highest in the country. But the region could never match the growth trajectory of Mumbai, which has similar attributes, or even become the financial capital of Karnataka, let alone the country.
Though Dakshina Kannada is the second highest contributor to the GSDP (Gross State Domestic Product) of Karnataka at 5.4 percent, it pales in comparison to Bengaluru’s nearly 40 percent, indicating the huge gap in development.
Also Read: Garbage mafia’s iron grip on Bengaluru. Even Deputy CM Shivakumar’s admitted defeat
‘Institutions but no jobs’
Vijesh Shetty graduated from NITTE, a top engineering college in Mangaluru, but works in Bengaluru. “The point is simple, the region has the topmost educational institutions, engineering, medical… but has no jobs,” the 40-year-old told ThePrint.
Dakshina Kannada and other coastal districts have petrochemicals, ports, logistics and fisheries industries, but services sector like IT have only token presence in these parts despite the high talent pool.
The coastal region has some of the finest hospitals and educational institutions, like Manipal, NITTE, St Aloysius, and several others. Manipal counts Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Nokia former chief Rajeev Suri as its alumni.
But just three kilometers away from Manipal, young students clashed over the right to wear Hijab three years ago, which became the flashpoint of minority rights in the country, attracting global media attention.
Over the years, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress have accused each other and their respective affiliates, of fanning communal flames.
This year alone, there have been three sensitive instances which brought the region to a boil with tit-for-tat retaliatory killings. On 17 April, a mob lynched a 35-year-old resident of Kerala allegedly for chanting pro-Pakistan slogans during a local cricket match.
Barely a month later, rowdy-sheeter (a person with a criminal record).and prominent pro-Hindu worker Suhas Shetty was brutally murdered in Mangaluru. Days later, a 32-year-old Muslim driver was hacked to death.
This spate of retaliatory killings began almost two years ago. In July 2022, three people–Masood, Praveen Nettaru and Fazil–were murdered in tit-for-tat retaliatory style.
Shetty wanted to avenge Nettaru’s murder and allegedly hacked down Fazil, a randomly selected target. Later, Fazil’s brother and others were arrested as the main accused in the murder of the rowdy-sheeter.
‘Prosperous despite govt neglect’
The coastal region is also referred to as Tulunadu, and residents believe that there is an effort to merge its identity with that of Kannada and Karnataka. Purists believe that the achievements of Tulunadu are being appropriated by Kannadigas.
Vijesh Shetty says that the only time development happened was in the early 1950s when the late Congress leader U. Srinivas Mallya represented the undivided Canara district in the Lok Sabha.
Mallya is credited with setting up the Mangalore port, laying the foundation for educational institutions and is often referred to as the ‘father of modern Mangaluru’.
But since then, the reference to the coast has always been linked to communal tensions. There were riots in the coastal districts in reaction to the Babri Masjid demolition.
“People here were more entrepreneurial, started educational institutions, hospitals and other businesses that brought prosperity. The government did nothing. The bus systems that operate in Mangaluru are privately established and are operational to this day,” the engineer says.
Residents, political leaders and others who spoke to ThePrint said that Dakshina Kannada and the other coastal districts prospered on the backs of individuals despite the neglect of successive governments.
Distinct economic and social disparity are said to be another reason behind these sectarian clashes.
The Hindus make up around 67 percent, the Muslims 24 percent and the Christians over 8 percent in Dakshina Kannada, according to the 2011 Census data.
But vague boundary lines and constant fear of attacks has led to the ghettoisation and formed an impediment of any interaction between youngsters of the two communities, since there is a trust deficit, according to residents, political leaders and others who spoke to ThePrint.
Eight people died in the 1997 Surathkal riots which started after a vigilante group attacked a Muslim man for being ‘involved’ with a Hindu girl. The January 2009 episode in which the Sri Rama Sene workers attacked and molested women in a Mangaluru pub is still fresh in the mind of the people.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
Also Read: Ask Karnataka CM not to threaten those demanding better infra in Bengaluru—Mohandas Pai to Rahul