BANGALORE: The Karnataka Jain community is opposed to the concept of renaming the major AdiKavi Pampa route in the Chamarajpet locality of Bangalore, as proposed by Karnataka Sahitya Parishat, the central organisation for the promotion of Kannada language.

The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has received a proposal from Mahesh Joshi, the president of the Karnataka Sahitya Parishat, to rename AdiKavi Pampa Road as "Kannada Sahitya Parishat Road." The Karnataka Jain Association has strongly objected to this.

The association has said, this action is an insult to the Jain poet. Kannada writers have also voiced opposition to the plan. They contend that AdiKavi Pampa occupies a unique position within the canon of Kannada literature.

In a message to the president of the Parishat, Jain community representatives from all over Karnataka ask that the proposal to rename the route be withdrawn.

Between a brief section of the Minto Hospital and Makkala Koota Park is AdiKavi Pampa Road. The Parishat has huge ambitions to improve this entire section of road in order to promote Kannada. In this regard, the Parishat's office holders have also chosen to meet with Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai.

Mahesh Joshi has justified the suggestion to change the name, noting that the choice was reached after researching the highways being built on particular themes in other nations. The road would be elevated in such a way that it will be a feast for Kannada language enthusiasts, he said.

All stakeholders on this stretch of road have been invited to consider the proposal, he said, adding that the plan is being created so that every visitor to Bengaluru would be required to visit this stretch.

Mahesh Joshi said, "Statues of major Kannada litterateurs would come up, Kannada songs would be played and special lighting facility would be made, popular statements by Kannada writers would be installed as per the proposal." 

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