Politics Of History: Tipu Sultan And The Double Edged Sword

The ongoing tussle over Tipu puts the spotlight once again on the political battle over historical icons, writes Deepti Sreeram.

- Deepti Sreeram

O Lord, let them not say:

To whom belongs he, to whom, to whom?

Let them say: he is ours, yes ours, ours!

O Lord of Meeting Rivers,

Let them say : a son of your house!

—Basavanna, Twelfth century Virashaiva Kannada poet

Yet, the battle over the identity of a son, his importance to Kannadigas is now a bone of contention. Karnataka’s very own Tipu Sultan, an integral facet of Kannada pride and history, is in choppy waters. Last week, the Congress-led government decided to celebrate Tipu Jayanti on 10 November, a day before Diwali, for the first time. Alleging that the decision was a ‘political move’ set with the purpose of appeasing the Muslims in Karnataka, the Sangh Parivar protested against the celebrations. The protests turned violent and claimed the lives of two when the protesting Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) clashed with the Muslim group taking out a procession for commemorating Tipu.

“Not one but three VHP activists were killed in the clash,” says Surendra Jain, VHP all-India secretary. “The Muslim group — the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) from Kerala, began the attack on the VHP activists who were peacefully sitting on a dharna. The Karnataka Police have already started arresting the perpetrators yet the government and the media say that it is a clash between the VHP and the Muslim group. The so-called secular politicians from here and Kerala, along with pseudo-secular journalists, are responsible for the death of our activists.” He says. “Even if there are different versions on Tipu, what was the necessity of celebrating Tipu Jayanti now? This is nothing but a purposeful step of the Congress to be a ‘role model’ for the Muslims.”