Close on the heels of the Congress government in Karnataka preparing to celebrate Tipu Sultan Jayanthi for the second year in a row, a similar movement seems to be coming up in Kerala.
The Youth Congress (Kannur unit) is set to commemorate Tipu Sultan martyrdom day on November 12, two days after the Karnataka government is set to celebrate Tipu Sutan Jayanthi amidst opposition from right-wing groups.
A report in The Times of India quotes Youth Congress Kannur Lok Sabha mandalam president Rijil Makutty as saying that the 18th century ruler is presented in a bad light in the state and that he is in fact a martyr who sacrificed his life fighting against the British.
“There is a communal agenda on the part of certain segments to portray him as an anti-Hindu ruler, but we want to present a truthful picture of the king who never compromised with the British,” said Makutty.
He also said that there was historical evidence to prove the efforts being carried out to portray him as a communal ruler.
“Tipu provided funds for the routine management of Guruvayur Temple and also captured the land illegally possessed by the feudal lords, and distributed it among the farmers,” he claimed.
With the “people of Karnataka beginning to accept Tipu’s contributions”, the leader believes it is time for a similar movement in Kerala.
BJP Kannur district president P Satyaprakash told TOI that the image of Tipu Sultan is strongly based on historical evidences.
“The people of Malabar have a fairly good idea about the atrocities of Tipu, who had attacked temples and forced conversion and even killed people who opposed these,” said the BJP leader.
However, historian KKN Kurup was of the opinion that Tipu Sultan shouldn’t be seen as a communal and anti-Hindu ruler.
“There was no other ruler in those days who worked so hard for the national interest and development and hence it is time to relook his contributions,” said Kurup.
Meanwhile, posting the update on Facebook, Thrithala MLA VT Balram of Congress reiterated that Tipu Sultan was not a communal ruler.
He said that Karnataka Youth Congress President Rizwan Arshad will also take part in the programme and praised Karnataka Chief Minister Siddamaramaiah for “taking strong decisions even at a time when fascism prevails”.