Karnataka’s Congress government has made a fresh move to affirm its position that Tipu Sultan, the 18th century Mysuru ruler, is a Kannada icon, and not just a hero for minorities. It has given the responsibility for organizing this year’s ‘Tipu Jayanti’ celebrations to the Kannada and Culture Department, shifting it from the Minorities Department.
Tipu’s birth anniversary, to be celebrated on November 10, will now be treated as a cultural event, rather than be seen merely from the lens of minorities, say State government officials. There were violent protests against the event last year.
The Congress government, in a first, organised the ‘Tipu Jayanti’ in 2015 to mark his birth anniversary on the lines of other historic personalities. Tipu Sultan was killed while fighting the British in Srirangapatna on May 4, 1799.
K.A. Dayanand, Director Kannada and Culture did not assign any reason for the transfer of responsibility for the celebrations to the Kannada and Culture Department, and said, “the responsibility is being given to our department, as we celebrate ‘Jayantis’ of iconic personalities of the land including Kanaka, Siddarama, Basava, Valmiki, Shivaji and Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar.”
Last year’s event was held at Banquet Hall, but on November 10, the venue will be Ravindra Kalakshetra and the celebrations will be inaugurated by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. “A panel discussion on the contribution of Tipu Sultan to the State and a play on the life of Tipu are proposed, he said.
BJP position unchanged
But there is no change in BJP’s ‘official’ position. “The party opposes the celebration of Tipu Jayanti, as for BJP, it is an attempt by the ruling Congress to appease minorities. A change of organising department will have no bearing on the party’s stand. It will boycott the event,” said spokesperson and former Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Suresh Kumar. “The government should have learnt its lesson from the previous year’s experience,” he said.
Last year, the celebrations were boycotted by BJP and protested by Sangh Parivar outfits, which claim the ruler of the erstwhile Mysore kingdom was “anti-Kannadiga and intolerant”. The protests led to violence at Madikeri in Kodagu district, which claimed two lives and left several injured, including policemen.
A magisterial inquiry by Mysuru Deputy Commissioner C. Shikha into the violence held the Kodagu Deputy Commissioner and Superintendent of Police responsible for the clash, since they were not available to prevent it.
Moreover, a remark by Jnanpith awardee Girish Karnad at the inaugural event that it would be more appropriate to name the Bengaluru International Airport after Tipu Sultan than Kempe Gowda stirred further controversy. Mr. Karnad later said he apologised if his remarks had hurt anyone. He was neither trying to trigger a change in the name of the airport nor did he want to hurt anybody’s sentiments.