ARUN PADKI writes: 65 years after to the day when the Constitution of India was adopted paving the way for the birth of Republic of India, has the government of Karnataka undermined the spirit of our democracy by displaying a tableau of Tipu Sultan?
Knowing very well that the antecedents of Tipu are hazy and not one that could be showcased as a symbol of the State or Karnataka’s pride, the government of Karnataka’s decision to make him the theme of its tableau at this year’s Republic Day parade is not in good taste.
The fact that this tableau was chosen over Kodagu-the land of warriors tableau is only rubbing salt over their wounds.
The contribution of Kodavas to this country is immense and on this community Tipu committed atrocities unimaginable that befits a king. Only a warlord or one with extreme perversion and hatred could do these heinous acts of murder, maiming and forceful conversion.
The other people who suffered similar atrocities during Tipu’s regime were the people from Coastal Karnataka, mainly Catholics and the people of Malabar who were forced to flee to a friendlier King, the Raja of Travancore and the rest staying back, after accepting a religion forced onto them.
The government could have chosen from and done justice to the citizens of the state and country by showing Karnataka in true spirit: The splendour of Mysore Dasara in the 18th century or the Saavira Kambada Basadi (thousand-pillared temple), a Jain temple that is spell binding.
Since Dasara has its own platform to exhibit’s the splendour, this can be given a miss. As a true Mysorean, even I would not complain since we are a State with lots of diversity. One State, many worlds…indeed!
For centuries Jains in Karnataka have given more to the society than one can imagine. If the monuments they have built, their generosity and the benign leaders of the past are one aspect, the education institutions of today and the charity work they are doing in today’s world is another.
They do not ask for favours from Government unlike others although the the UPA government has conferred them the title of ‘minority’ in an election year.
Tipu’s contribution to culture, literature, Kannada language and more importantly secularism is always questioned. Kannada was replaced with Farsi language. As far as making him a freedom fighter is concerned, biased historians have compromised on his correspondences with the French to overthrow the British.
The Government of Karnataka has played dirty politics by displaying a tableau of Tipu with the elections in mind. It is for the people who are the target of appeasement here to understand the facts of about Tipu and not get swayed by these short term gimmicks. Mutual respect and equality is important than being appeased or tolerated.
And today, Kodavas and Jains, being small communities, have become inconsequential to the politicians as they are not a vote bank.
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churumuri 
Shameless vote bank politics by Siddu. This is the disgusting side of the Congress one gets to see as elections come nearer.
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I entirely agree with Arun Padki’s sentiments. There are so many things we need to be proud of, Why bring in Tippu Sultan whose contribution to the state is very questionable? There is a limit to minority appeasement please.
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The killing of 400 jangamas by Chikka Devaraja Wodeyar and Marathas looting Sringeri and Melkote were absolutely brilliant. No?
The fact of the matter is, just because Tippu was a muslim, the mud is slung at him now. I suggest the author to read history of south India from stone age to vijayanagar empire by Nilakanta Shastri.
Every army killed and looted outside its kingdom. Try judge a man under the time and circumstances that he was in.
Because the same argument the author is making can equally be twisted to say Kodavas were anti-nationals because they helped British overthrow Tippu, no?
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This is Congress’s way of preaching Secularism, play the minority card on the micro minority Kodavas & Jains in Karnataka, Play Natak OK, this is nothing but 2014 Election politics. The real congress party of Gandhi, Gokaly, Tilak, Patel or for that matter Nehru is Gone With the Wind. This precipitate called Congress is nothing but Hath giving, “symbolically the HAND” one to Bharat Vasis since 1969. Hail the “Indira Matha”, forget the Bharat Matha. OK Citizens of India.
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The Tipu Sultan image does not have eyeballs..making him look like a monster he was..this is what represent Karnataka..
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The government of Karnataka has committed a heinous crime by showcasing Tipu. Tipu has nothing to do with Karnataka and its culture. He actually wanted to destroy it. He imposed Persian over Kannadigas. He brutally persecuted millions of Hindus and Christians. He was a bloodthirsty monster. He never fought for freedom. It is all bullshit. He opposed British who wanted to end his tyranny and save the people of Mysore kingdom. He had no problem with taking the help of French, another aggressor to fight the British. The so-called secular ‘historians’ have made him a tiger. The Congress government in Karnataka should be booted out for glorifying Tipu and insulting its own people.
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The article does not write about how does Tippu’s tableau insults Jains. Is it because the writer might be belonging to Jain community?
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@The_Other_Arun
Just as you say we are discussing Tipu Sultan and not Salman Khan the actor here! When someone praises Marathas to say how good their rule was we can talk about atrocities carried out by them in Sringeri and Melkote. Frankly by all records Tipu was an unabashed proselytizer and a cruel king. Thank you.
Read http://www.amazon.com/Tipu-Sultan-Tyrant-Mysore-History-ebook/dp/B00H2LWIG4 by Sandeep Balakrishna. You will be amazed at your own ignorance!
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The problem, as I see it, is two-fold. First, some section of the establishment tries to “appease” (represent, integrate, respect, use what word you will) the Muslims by floating a tableau of a Muslim king. And secondly, the Muslim community tends to believe that cosmetic measures such as a Tipu tableau actually amounts to representation, respect and integration. I find this mind-numbingly illogical.
I understand that every community will want a fair amount of representation on the national parade. I also understand that every community will expect respect for its icons. But that doesn’t justify twisting historical facts to suit a certain interpretation of history – that which enables certain sections of the establishment to curry favours with specific communities.
Tipu Sultan is generally made out (by the Marxist school of Indian historians) as some sort of a freedom fighter who locked horns with the British – but these same historians will either ignore or obfuscate the violent acts of mass murder, rape, torture, and conversions Tipu wrought on the Hindus. Same goes for Akbar – he is feted as one of the most generous Mughal rulers by these historians – underscoring that Akbar abolished the Jizya – but ignoring that Akbar’s expansionist battles also took approx 6 million Hindu lives.
I don’t believe that Indian Muslims today need to feel sorry for the cruelties of bygone Muslim rulers. They don’t owe an apology. But then, they perhaps don’t need to treat the Tipu’s and Akbar’s as icons and role models either – if only they were taught facts instead of fictionalised biographies.
My point is that – we Indians are deliberately taught a misleading, factually incorrect and negationist history – the one commissioned by Nehru and penned down by Romila Thapar and her ilk. Not just the Muslims, millions of Hindus too believe (no small thanks to Sanjay Khan’s TV soap The Sword of Tipu Sultan) that Tipu was a champion of India’s struggle for freedom.
The result is that today we’re like that character in Memento – with no sense of our own history, no perspective, and always vulnerable to manipulation without knowing it.
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I believed and based my opinion on Tippu Sultan in accordance to what I learnt during my school days. And my numerous visits to Srirangapatna only strenghtened by belief. For me Tippu was an apostle of secularism. He is still by hero. But I have been distressed lately. What is the truth? And what is someone’s spin on the truth.
Mithila.
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@Sumpura
character in Memento…..you hit the nail on the head…
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Shall we re-write history for the sake of next 100 years? I have same sentiments against King Asoka who was a murderer and we idiots are worshiping Asoka pillar as the National symbol! oh! then, he was a Hindu (and later Budhist) King!
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..and why do the Kodavas still need a Gun without license for old times’ sake. is it not appeasement?
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Why sangh parivar opposes Tipu so much? . Kaise bhi ho wah ek shaid tha. Sangh parivar ka aarop ki keral me islami jihad tipu ki vajah se faila ekdam jhut hai. Keral me Islam mopla ki vajah se hi faila Jo Arab the aur unko wahi ka hindu raja leke aya tha.
Tipu ki tulna me Mysore ka maharaja angrezo se mil gaya tha.Agar Shivaji secular tha to tipu unse bhi bada secular tha.
Sangh parivar swatantrata senanio ka adar kare varna Sangh ki lokpriyta kam hoti jayegi.
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WHO save karnataka from Marathas & british that was the Tippu who fought with british and marathas otherwise our karnataka will be in hand of marathas,
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History of Tipu Sultan is well documented by British I suggest those who are interested to read those accounts and keep in mind history is written conquerer British, However some of the facts are a simple observations from those time. These are the facts that one needs understand Tipu did defeat British three times and he died in the battle field these are undeniable facts by these counts I consider him a leader, on a same note he was king so as others such maratas ashoka’s chola’s we all killed each other and so did Tipu sultan he belongs to India and not to pakistan and he is our hero
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to ram :
it was his father Hyder who led & won ( in 1st and 2nd ) bcoz of hyder confidence secular accomplice viz., Poornaiaha, krishna iyengar etc.
Coming to Tippu, last all war he led ( 3rd and 4th ) backed by extremist
in simple terms hyder never lost ( except with martaha ), tippu never won
and in Pakistan Navy – they have PNS Tippu Navy ship
and in Pakistan – they have Md Bin Qasim port but not
Hyder neither Siraj-ud-dula
to CCTCADM:
upper Tungabhadra which was already vassal state of Martha and Nizam (1700 CE), You means only Old mysore was Karnataka ?
And as per you, areas which are not defended by tippu is
never came under British or Martha ( maratha empire collopsed in 1820s)
it alwasy always highted on king who martyed in battel field ( tippu only ), then who Aliya Ramaraya, Hemachandra Chowhan, Kumara Rama, Pazhassi Raja.
to MURTI:
Janab, aap ka matlab, Bin Laden is Shaid ( killed in encounter/battel field )
Aur, aap bhle kerala me jihad bada raja (srimurthy) vaje se, aur ek bhat un Mappilla ke vajse hein raja ko mila mouth
tippu was so secular that he had sword on which its written ” to kill Kafir” ( not to kill british )
and also secular that wrote letter his general, to convert atleast 5lakha in kerala.
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