Organizations urge government to save historical Ninnikallu

Mangalore Today News Network

Padubidri, July 17, 2012: Several organizations organized a protest against the KIADB’s move to convert the historic place of Ninnikallu into an industrial area.

Members of Karnataka Ithihasa Academy of Udupi and Historians Federation of Shirva and students of Sundar Ram Shetty College, Bhandarkar’s College, and St. Mary’s College Shirva formed a human chain on this occasion.

The protestors condemned the government’s move to destroy Ninnikallu, which has historical significance, and urged authorities to stop land acquisition in this area.

Stating that the Ninnikallu Fort and the stone idols date back to the fifteenth century, the protestors said that historical places such as forts, palaces, and monuments exist in and around Ellur. They also said that the government has already destroyed the palace of the Alupa rulers in Udyavara.

The KIADB has already acquired 60 acres of land in Ninnikallu and handed it over to an individual, who has begun leveling the area to put up factories. According to Naveenchandra Suvarna, president of the GP, the remains of Kunda Heggade’s palace and the historical Vrishchika Kallubalikallu have been damaged during the leveling work.