Christian missionaries showed the way for growth of Coastal Karnataka: Purushottama Bilimale

Christian missionaries contributed immensely to the growth of Coastal Karnataka and showed the way for the progress of the region, said Purushothama Bilimale, former Professor, Chair in Kannada, Jawaharlal Nehru University’s School of Language, Literature and Culture Studies, in Mangaluru, on Monday.

Christian missionaries contributed immensely to the growth of Coastal Karnataka and showed the way for the progress of the region, said Purushothama Bilimale, former Professor, Chair in Kannada, Jawaharlal Nehru University’s School of Language, Literature and Culture Studies, in Mangaluru, on Monday.

Speaking on ‘Karavali Kattida Bage’ (the way society in coastal Karnataka was built) on the second day of the three-day state-level conference of the Democratic Youth Federation of India, Mr. Bilimale said that it is the Basel Mission that set up the printing press in Mangaluru through which several old literary works including ‘Jamini Bharata’ and ‘Shabdamani Darparna’ got published. They also brought out the Bible in different regional languages. The Basel Mission was the first to open a school in the region, which paved way for the Christian Missionaries to open several schools where several students from the poor and deprived communities continue to study.

Christian missionaries set up the Government Wenlock Hospital and also set up the first Municipality in Mangaluru. They built roads and gave impetus to cashew industry in the region. Talking about immense contribution of Christian missionaries, Mr. Bilimale said: “They have given a new direction to the growth of coastal region”.

The rich history of the coastal region can be known by reading the works of Polali Seenappa Hegde, Ganapati Rao, Manjeshwar Govinda Pai, historian B. Salethur, Keshav Krishna Kudva and Gururaj Bhat, he said.

The region was known as cradle of banking. Canara Bank, Corporation Bank, Karnataka Bank, Syndicate Bank and Vijaya Bank, which were founded in the region, created employment opportunities for youth of the region. Molahalli Shivarao, Kota Shivaram Karanth and Areya Lakshminaraya Alva were among stalwarts who contributed to the growth of cooperative movement in the region. The contribution of Benagal Rama Rao, Kudmul Ranga Rao, Karnad Sadashiva Rao, Guru Dutt, Kamadevi Chattopadhaya and B.V. Kakkilaya, to the region is immeasurable.

Reading the works of these stalwarts and organisations shows the path to progress for the Coastal Karnataka region. Unfortunately the region is now known for communal trouble, Mr. Bilimale regretted.