TCN News with inputs from IANS
Bengaluru: Security has been stepped up across Karnataka in view of the birthday celebration (Jayanti) of the erstwhile Mysuru ruler Tipu Sultan on Saturday by the ruling coalition partner Congress despite protests by the opposition BJP.
“We have tightened security across the state and deployed additional forces in Bengaluru, Mysuru, Kodagu and Mangaluru for peaceful celebration of Tipu Jayanti,” a police officer told reporters of IANS on Friday.
Section 144 has been imposed in Hubballi and some other district of Karnataka.
The other alliance partner, the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S), is staying away from the state-sponsored event, as evident from the absence of its Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy’s name in the official invitation.
The Chief Minister’s office clarified that Kumaraswamy would be taking rest for three days from Saturday on the advice of his doctors.
Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara of the Congress inaugurated the Jayanti at the state secretariat in the city centre in the presence of special invitees and dignitaries, including cabinet ministers from Congress side.
The Congress began celebrating the birth anniversary of the 18th century controversial ruler on November 10 since 2015 to honour him as a patriot and for his yeoman service to the people in the southern region.
Eldest son of Sultan Hyder Ali, Tipu (1750-1799) is also hailed as the ‘Tiger of Mysore’ for fighting against the British East India Company to protect and enlarge his kingdom. Tipu had learnt several languages and also excelled in Mathematics and science.
He introduced new administrative reforms and had his own coinage. He also began a new land revenue system which contributed to the growth of the Mysore silk industry.He expanded the iron-cased Mysorean rockets and commissioned the military manual Fathul Mujahidin, and is considered a pioneer in the use of rocket artillery. He deployed the rockets against advances of British forces and their allies during the Anglo-Mysore Wars.
Tipu donated generously to major Hindu temples and monasteries which is recorded in the Persian language which was the court language.
Tipu was killed in a battle with the British army in 1799 while defending his fort at Srirangapatna near Mysuru, about 120km from Bengaluru.
The right winged parties however oppose these celebrations calling Tipu Sultan a tyrant who repressed Hindus and Christians. This is not recorded anywhere except in English writings by the Britishers. Academic Michael Soracoe has drawn attention to the extensive phobic material on Tipu created by the English officials, writers, painters, and cartoonists in the last two decades of the 18th century with the intention of creating a rift between his Hindu subjects and capture Mysore state.
An interesting fact is when B.S. Yeddyurappa quit Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and formed his own party in 2012 known as “Karnataka Janatha Paksha”, had donned Tipu Sultan’s headgear and held a mock sword praising Tipu Sultan with the intention of seeking Muslim votes. But now that he is back in the BJP and is the State president, Yeddyurappa is at the forefront opposing the celebration of Tipu Jayanthi in Karnataka on November 10.
Another fact worth mentioning is that the RSS published a series called ” Bharata- Bharathi” in kannada on the most influential personalities of India. And Tipu Sultan is one among these personalities. The Bharata- Bhatathi series have called him a patriot and a hero and there is nothing negative about him in the series.
But today it is the RSS and all its affiliated groups who are opposing the celebration of Tip Jayanti.