The Abhimani Balaga of banking visionary Mulki Sunder Ram Shetty has strongly condemned the demolition of his memorial near the Bappanadu entrance arch in Mulki during national highway expansion works. The group demanded its restoration at a suitable location along with the establishment of a competitive examination training centre in his name.
Memorial Demolished Without Consultation
Addressing reporters on Saturday, advocate Dinesh Hegde Ullepady said the memorial was demolished without any alternative arrangements for relocation or preservation, and without consulting Shetty’s family, admirers or local residents.
Sunder Ram Shetty's Transformative Role in Vijaya Bank
Ullepady highlighted Sunder Ram Shetty's transformative role in the growth of Vijaya Bank. After taking charge of the bank, then largely confined to the coastal region, he led the merger of nine smaller banks with Vijaya Bank between 1963 and 1968, helping it emerge as a nationally recognised institution. He also spearheaded the expansion of banking services to rural areas and small towns, bringing farmers, small traders and ordinary citizens into the formal banking system.
Describing him as an employment generator for thousands of youth, Ullepady said Shetty recruited people without discrimination based on caste or religion, improving the economic condition of countless families and encouraging education across coastal Karnataka. When Vijaya Bank was nationalised in 1980, it had grown to 571 branches, employed over 10,000 people and handled business exceeding Rs 605 crore.
Contributions Beyond Banking
Apart from banking, Shetty supported educational, religious and social causes, and helped numerous students and job aspirants. He is widely regarded as the 'Modern Architect of Vijaya Bank’. He also acquired land and facilitated the construction of nearly 1,000 houses for Vijaya Bank employees in Bengaluru, an area later named Mulki Sunder Ram Shetty Nagar, he said.
Demands and Warning
The association urged the government to acquire at least an acre in Mulki or Bappanadu, restore and relocate Shetty’s memorial on a portion of it, and establish a training centre for banking recruitment and competitive examinations such as IAS, KAS, IPS and judicial services on the remaining land. A memorandum has already been submitted to the deputy commissioner in this regard. The association warned that it would launch a protest if the government fails to act on its demands.
