Bengaluru: The Karnataka government’s grand plans to celebrate the birth anniversary of Tipu Sultan has met with a cold shoulder from the Karnataka High Court, which wondered how the common public will benefit from a government-sponsored function to celebrate the anniversary of the 17th Century Mysore ruler.
The court’s observations come amidst protests from different sections of people across the state, primarily the BJP and the RSS. The protestors have been questioning the rationale behind observing Tipu Jayanthi on November 10. Most of the protestors have argued the logic of the government holding a grand celebration of a warrior who ruled two centuries ago whose legacy is at best divisive.
The preliminary hearing that began on Wednesday has been adjourned to Thursday, when the Advocate General is likely to argue the State’s case. The petition also points to last year’s violence, arguing that the celebration of Tipu Jayanthi will leading to communal disharmony.
The state government has so far defended its move in public, arguing that Tipu was one of the most progressive and secular rulers of his time – he is credited with building the world’s first rocket, got together a navy, and was even known for big grants to many temples in the region – especially the Sringeri temple which had been looted during a Maratha invasion.
The RSS, in the meantime, has announced plans for a series of protests – a protest by women activists holding an ‘onake’ (Kannada word for a long pestle/ wooden club) was held on Wednesday in Chitradurga, where the story of ‘Onake’ Obbavva is a part of legend. Obbavva is known as the wife of a guard who saw enemy soldiers approaching the Chitradurga fort and killed them one by one with an ‘onake.’
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