Congress hell bent for Tipu Jayanti, Kumaraswamy remains away

If we look into the medieval history of India, Tipu Sultan comes out as a controversial ruler. There are many clashing records of him ransacking temples at different occasions. Modern-day Karnataka is the place where Tipu Sultan’s kingdom in the olden days thrived. It was the epicentre of death and destruction for ‘kaffirs’ in the south. After conquering a land, his cruelty against the Christians and Hindus had no bounds. Several thousand Hindus and Christians were forcibly killed and converted into Islam under Sultan’s order. This fact is forgotten by the Congress and its allies are jubilantly celebrating Tipu Jayanti today on November 10. Last year also, the Congress party celebrated Tipu Jayanti in Karnataka.

The BJP is protesting against the decision of ruling JD(S) and Congress of celebrating the Tipu Jayanti. Amidst the protest, a clear rift between JD(S) and the Congress has emerged. According to media reports, Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy has avoided attending the event because of some health issues. A press release issued by CM’s office on Friday said: “On the advice of doctors, the CM will take three days’ rest till November 11. He will spend time with family on these days and there will be no official engagements.”

Health reasons cited by CM to avoid attending Tipu Celebrations is seen as an attempt to avoid the controversy surrounding Tipu Jayanti celebrations. Earlier he had said that he neither opposed nor supported Tipu Jayanti. The CM said, “If they (BJP) don’t like to be a part of the celebrations, they need not participate.

The BJP tweeted, “What is the point of celebrating a fanatic when the chief minister himself abandons a government function.”

The BJP has already shown its displeasure over the celebrations of the tyrannical ruler’s Jayanti and some JD(S) lawmakers have also shown reservations but despite that Congress is adamant on marking the occasion, disregarding the public sentiment. The former Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah commenced the tradition of celebrating the Tipu Jayanti. His fall began with the celebration of Tipu Jayanti and ended up with the defeat in 2018 Karnataka Elections. This shows the extent to which he was consumed in the hatred for Hinduism. He celebrated the Jayanti of a tyrant who had massacred hundreds of thousands of Hindus during his rule. Although the Tipu’s birthday falls on November 20, his Jayanti has been celebrated on November 10. November 10 is the day on which he hanged 700 Iyengars in Melkote. When the organizing secretary of Vishwa Hindu Parishad, D.S. Kuttapa, staged a protest against such glorification of a man who has killed millions of Kodavas, he was brutally hacked to death by “unknown assailants”.

Celebrating Tipu Jayanti is a new low for appeasement of a community at the expense of not only the state but also the native people of Karnataka who can never forget the gruesome atrocities inflicted upon them by the usurper king of Mysore.

The State Government wants to project that people with vested interest are opposing Tipu because Tipu Sultan was a Muslim Monarch, but the fact is that the protest is against the monstrous atrocities committed by Tipu and the most shocking fact is that there is ample documentation of his atrocities in Gazetteers of Mysore and Kerala. Probably Congress leaders have faith in the idea that if a lie is repeated a hundred times it becomes the truth.

Vijay Mallya who bought Tipu Sultan’s sword has gone financially bankrupt, the Congress which celebrated Tipu Sultan’s Jayanti in the state lost state assembly elections but somehow through a post-poll unholy alliance managed to stay in power in the state. It remains to be seen what would happen next. Kumaraswamy has avoided attending the Tipu Jayanti celebrations, it remains to be seen whether this show of protest by Kumaraswamy has any long-term ramifications on the fragile coalition.