Mangaluru: Dakshina Kannada MP Brijesh Chowta on Friday said it was wrong to portray Mangaluru and other parts of the Karavali (coastal) region in a poor light at a time when global investors are showing keen interest in the area.
Indirectly responding to recent remarks by Priyank Kharge that communal tensions and religious narratives had created a negative investment climate in the Mangaluru–Udupi–Manipal belt, the MP said such perceptions do not reflect the region’s true character or potential.
“Karavali has strong entrepreneurial legacy”
Mangaluru, he said, has a long-standing legacy of entrepreneurship and economic dynamism. Pointing out that it is Karnataka’s only port city, Chowta emphasised that the region holds immense potential for industrial growth, trade and development.
“Mangaluru is the State’s only port city and a gateway for international trade. Those at the helm of affairs in the State should understand its importance and the opportunities it presents,” he said.
He added that the political class had failed to fully recognise and harness the growth prospects of the coastal belt. “It is our responsibility to make the best use of the opportunities available in Karavali,” he remarked.
The MP urged those in positions of power to refrain from projecting Dakshina Kannada in a negative light. “When the coastal belt is being portrayed poorly, it becomes our duty to present the correct picture. People across Karnataka must rise above political differences and support the region’s development,” he said.
Remarks at SARAS Mela inauguration
Chowta was speaking at the inauguration of the nine-day national SARAS (Sale of Articles of Rural Artisans Society) Mela in Mangaluru, where products made by women self-help groups are on display and sale.
He appreciated the Karnataka Rural Livelihood Mission for organising the mela in the coastal city and noted that the concept of SARAS was originally introduced during the tenure of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
The event aims to provide a marketing platform for rural artisans and women entrepreneurs under the National Rural Livelihood Mission framework.
MLA raises issue over photo display
Meanwhile, Mangaluru City South MLA D. Vedavyas Kamath criticised the Karnataka Rural Livelihood Mission for not displaying photographs of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan at the venue.
He pointed out that the programme is being conducted under the National Rural Livelihood Mission, in which the Union Government contributes 60 per cent of the funds, while the State Government bears the remaining 40 per cent.
“The Centre’s contribution should have been duly acknowledged,” Kamath said, suggesting that the absence of photographs of key Union leaders did not reflect the funding pattern of the scheme.
Call for balanced discourse
The developments highlight the political undertones surrounding discussions on investment climate and development in the coastal region. While opposition leaders have raised concerns over communal narratives affecting investor confidence, the MP and local representatives have stressed the need to safeguard the region’s image and project its economic strengths.
With Mangaluru being a key commercial and port hub of Karnataka, leaders across party lines have acknowledged its strategic importance. However, differences remain over how the region is perceived and represented in the broader political discourse.
As debates continue, stakeholders have underlined that sustained development, infrastructure growth and promotion of entrepreneurship will play a decisive role in shaping Karavali’s future trajectory.