Dublin administration mulls naming street after Savita

BELAGAVI: Nearly four years after Savita Halappanavar, a Belagavi-origin dentist died of blood poisoning after doctors in Ireland refused to terminate her pregnancy citing Catholic law, the local government in Dublin is mulling naming a street in the city in her memory.
"A member of the Dublin City Council recently said that he is contemplating naming a street in the city after Savita," said Kitty Holland, a senior journalist who published a book on the tragic saga."However, the council members are confused if her parents will find the proposal acceptable. If the proposal meets with the parents' approval, then it will be approved in one or two sittings of the council," she added.
Andaneppa Yalagi, Savita's father, told STOI he found the council's proposal heartwarming. "We welcome this proposal wholeheartedly, since Savita's fourth death anniversary will be at the end of October," he said.
Savita's death triggered an international debate with various social organizations demanding amendments to what they perceived as a draconian law on abortion. In 2013, taking cognizance of the overwhelming public support for modifications to the then existing law, the Ireland Parliament passed a bill that permitted abortion when the life of the mother was at risk.