Mangaluru : Deputy Commissioner Sasikanth Senthil made an impassionate plea to stakeholders to do their bit to rebuild the brand that this coastal city always had, and one which had taken a hit in past decade or two for various reasons. Expressing his angst at isolated incidents being given a communal tinge, especially in an era of ‘liberated social media’, Senthil said it is difficult for the administration alone to crack down on elements leveraging such media to their ends.

Making his plea on the CM HD Kumaraswamy’s launched campaign ‘Brand Mangaluru’ initiated by Dakshina Kannada Working Journalists’ Association(DKWJA), Senthil at a DKWJA meet on Wednesday said the administration in general and government in particular had always seen Dakshina Kannada as a district that could show how things could be done. The district always had a great brand and this should only be rebuilt, he noted.

Ruing the (mis)use of social media to project the district, Senthil said hyping of minor incidents that are more often than not local and giving it a communal tinge only projects DK in bad light. “We must counter the negativity that pervades in this digital age,” Senthil said, adding people could not wash their hands of the same, it does not concern them. “You never know when the problem will land on your doorsteps and it may be too late to act then,” he noted.

Unlike his previous assignment as DC in Raichur, Senthil who took charge on October 10, 2017 said the district presents a whole new set of challenges to any administrator. This is one of the few districts where one finds governance with a civil society, media and other institutions playing their part responsibly. “People in the district respect positivity, are straight forward and stand by those who are in to straight forward work,” Senthil averred.