Discussion Tipu Sultan controversy: Death toll rises to 3, FIR against Girish Karnad

Prateek Marwadi

Prateek Marwadi

EntMnt Rockers
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Bengaluru: A Muslim man died on Thursday, thus increasing the death toll of Tipu Sultan controversy to 3.

Man named Sahil who was injured in clashes with police during Tipu Sultan’s birth anniversary celebrations passed away today. Before him, a VHP supporter and a passerby had died when police baton charged rampaging crowd.

Meanwhile, a complaint was filed at the Vidhana Soudha police station here against Jnanpith Award winner Girish Karnad for his ‘provocative’ remark on naming the Bengaluru international airport after city founder Kempe Gowda, on charges that the comment has allegedly hurt the sentiments of certain sections of society.

The complaint against Karnad was filed by Kannada activist China Ramu who said the remarks made by the author had disturbed the peace in the state and also demanded that the police arrest the writer.

Karnad had earlier apologised for his remarks saying he did not intend to hurt anyone as he was only expressing his opinion about Tipu Sultan on his birth anniversary.

However, protest demonstrations were held and rallies were taken out against him in many cities and towns across Karnataka.

The award winning author was addressing a gathering of about 300 people at the Vidhana Soudha here at a function the state organised to celebrate the 265th birth anniversary of Tipu Sultan when he made the controversial statement, following which, he allegedly received a death threat saying he would he would ‘meet the same end as (murdered writer) MM Kalburgi’.
 
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Technoglitch

Technoglitch

Core Member
A descendant of Tipu Sultan on Thursday accused the BJP and other outfits of playing “dirty politics” over the erstwhile Mysore ruler’s birth anniversary celebrations and said he would seek Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s intervention in the matter.

Shahzada Anwar Ali Shah, a descendant of Tipu Sultan, also lambasted the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad for “maligning the country’s image internationally by portraying the monarch as a tyrant”.

“It’s not only unfortunate but dangerous that certain representatives of the BJP, VHP and other fringe groups are playing dirty politics over Tipu Sultan, who was one of the first freedom fighters in the country,” Shah told IANS.

“On one hand, Modi is visiting foreign countries and presenting India as an ideal destination for investments, and on the other, his own party people are maligning the country’s image by trying to distort history and give a bad name to a historical icon,” said Shah, who lives in the city’s Tollygunge area.

Shah, who claims to be a kin of Tipu Sultan’s youngest son Ghulam Mohammad -- who was brought to Kolkata in 1806 -- called for a reality check on Tipu Sultan’s “anti-Hindu” stance.

“This is not about Tipu Sultan alone. It’s about time the Prime Minister looked as to why so many people are returning their awards and expressing concern over the growing intolerance,” he said.

“What kind of message is the PM now carrying to London when such a thing is happening in the country? I think Modi should intervenes in this matter to ensure that our martyrs who made the supreme sacrifice for the country are not belittled. It is the Prime Minister’s job to ensure that martyrs like Tipu are not dishonoured,” he said.


BJP, fringe groups distorting history: Tipu Sultan’s descendant | india | Hindustan Times
 
Technoglitch

Technoglitch

Core Member
While Tipu’s legacy can be debated by historians, it all becomes clouded when politicians enter the picture. Nobody was demanding that Tipu be celebrated, so why did the government see it fit to thrust another “jayanti” on the state? The BJP regime did something similar when it introduced Valmiki and Kanakadasa jayantis as public holidays. Tipu Jayanti is probably the Congress reply; but there’s a difference. Valmiki and Kanakadasa were not known to have killed people. Nobody protested, very few even cared.

That Tipu Jayanti is a hurried and ill-informed decision is apparent from the fact that the government did not even get its dates right. Former Bangalore University Vice Chancellor Thimappa Manchale Suryanarayanarao called out the government’s ignorance on social media, “I just learnt from a historian that the tyrant Tipu’s birthday falls on November 20. November 10 is the day on which he hanged 700 Iyengars in Melkote.” As a result, the Melkote Iyengars do not celebrate Diwali even today. By cruel irony, that is the day the Karnataka government decided to celebrate its supposedly secular hero. How embarrassing can this get?

It’s difficult to imagine that the state government was unaware that entire communities within and outside the state bore a deep resentment towards Tipu Sultan. It’s not just the Melkote Iyengars, it’s the Coorgs, who he killed and converted, it’s the Mangalorean Catholics, whose churches he destroyed, and the Nairs of Wyanad and Malabar, who he tried to exterminate. Evidence for this comes from Tipu’s own letters and diaries. Instead, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah casually dismisses history by saying that the protests were by “communal forces”.

That’s not true, according to Coorgs. Says Coorg-born Gautham Machaiah, former executive vice-president, Zee Networks, “Coorgs are not opposed to Tipu Jayanti because he was a Muslim. He was a tyrant. He butchered thousands of Coorgs, mainly women and children, and forcibly converted innumerable people. We would have equally opposed Tipu Jayanti had he been a Hindu or a Christian.” The seething anger among Coorgs is ripe for exploitation, and that’s where the BJP has stepped in.

Karnataka govt's Tipu Sultan blunder: Was 10 Nov his birthday, or the day he hanged 700 Melkote Iyengars? - Firstpost
 
DashMajor

DashMajor

EntMnt Knight
These stupid politician dieing to celebrate Muslim Leaders but will cry to honor Sir APJ Abdul Kalam who was a constructive Muslim originated gave many things to the country.
 
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