A link with Bangalore's hoary past revived

By Our Special Correspondent

BANGALORE, AUG. 15. When the Mehkri Circle underpass is formally inaugurated on Thursday, Bangalore will revive a link with its past. Prominent on the underpass is a plaque dating back to April 1937 -- when this spot was named "Enayatulla Mehkri Square."

Removed during the construction work, the plaque has now been restored and the descendents of late Mehkri were overjoyed when this was done. His grandson, Mr. Abid Mehkri, proudly told The Hindu: ``With the underpass facilitating smoother flow of traffic, the serenity of the place has been restored.'' The civic authorities and roads-users too hope that there will be no more chaos at this busy intersection.

A senior citizen and contemporary of the late Mehkri, Mr. Cora Chandy, remembers his old friend well. ``For more than half-a- century, he rendered yeoman service to residents of the Cantonment area, the erstwhile Civil and Military Station, and later the Civil Station,'' Mr. Chandy recalled.

After years as a municipal councillor, Mr. Enayatulla Mehkri, was elected Vice-President of the Civil Station Municipal Commission in 1948. In that capacity he had the honour of presenting an address on behalf of the citizens to Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, who was on his first visit as Prime Minister of independent India to Bangalore. An old photograph shows Mr Mehkri and Mr. Nehru along with Mr. Chandy, who was then the Municipal Secretary. Mr. Mehkri also presented a public address to Sardar Vallabhai Patel during his visit to Bangalore.

Mr. Chandy also said that Mr. Mehkri was an active member of the Indian National Congress from his younger days, and was imprisoned for six months during the turbulent period leading to the nation's Independence and the merger of Mysore State with the Indian Union. He was later President of the Karnataka Freedom Fighters' Association. He was a devout Muslim who always believed in communal harmony, while being associated with Muslim organisations and educational institutions.

It was Mr. Mehkri's compassion for animals that led to him spending his own money to level the then steep gradient leading to the present Mehkri Circle. The plight of bullocks drawing heavily-loaded carts up the gradient moved him. Instead of being compensated monetarily by the then ruler, Maharaja Krishnarajendra Wadiyar, he requested the Dewan, Sir Mirza Ismail, to install the plaque bearing his name.

Mr. Enayatylla Mehkri lived to see the present traffic chaos at the circle before he died in 1990 as a patriarch of 92.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Southern States
Previous : Cost increases four-fold due to inordinate delay
Next     : Solar-powered car demonstrated