International Booker Prize winner Banu Mushtaq inaugurating Dasara by lighting a lamp in front of the idol of Goddess Chamundeshwari atop Chamundi Hill in Mysuru on Monday.
Credit: DH Photo
Mysuru: Messages on humanity, secularism, equality, unity in diversity and inclusiveness resonated at the inaugural event of the 11-day Mysuru Dasara atop Chamundi Hill here on Monday morning.
Besides International Booker Prize-winner Banu Mushtaq, who inaugurated the festivities, Chief Siddaramaiah too said that the Naada Habba (State festival) upholds the objectives of the Indian Constitution and spreads the message of secularism, equal society and brotherhood. It is meant for people of all communities, and hence it is world famous, he said.
He defended the selection of Mushtaq for the Dasara inauguration and said, "She was born a Muslim, but she is a human being. As a Muslim woman, she wrote in Kannada and brought honour to Karnataka by winning the international award. We have also honoured Deepa Bhasthi, who translated her work. Besides being a writer, Mushtaq is a popular activist who has participated in several movements of farmers, Dalits and others across the State. The Supreme Court and High Court upheld the secular principles of the Indian Constitution by allowing Banu Mushtaq to inaugurate Dasara. If we accept humanity and the Constitution, then we must accept Banu Mushtaq, too. In order to understand the rights and responsibilities guaranteed by the Constitution, we made reading of the Preamble mandatory for students in schools and colleges. People should love one another as humans and should not hate others in the name of religion or caste. We should have tolerance, coexistence, and live as Indians," he said, quoting verses of Kuvempu.
'Eye-opening messages'
After the inauguration of Dasara, Siddaramaiah said, "Messages of humanity by Banu Mushtaq were eye-opening, and she inaugurated the festival meaningfully".
He said, "Society should not be divided in the name of caste or religion, for selfish motives and political reasons. Ghoda hai, maidan hai (There is a horse, there is a field). Let's do politics during elections. Not always. Appeasement politics will only be detrimental and not fetch anything".
Siddaramaiah recalled, "Dasara celebration, which was started by the Vijayanagar kings, was continued by Raja Wadiyar in Srirangapatna in 1610. Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan, too, celebrated it. We should know our history. History should not be misinterpreted. People should not be misled for political reasons," he said.
The Chief Minister said, "Even after 78 years since we got independence, inequality and discrimination persist. So in order to uphold the principles of Buddha, Basavanna, Ambedkar and Kuvempu, and to bring about equal opportunities for all, we came up with the guarantee schemes, which are benefiting people from all castes and communities. The guarantee schemes have increased the buying power and hence enhanced the per capita income, and have especially empowered women. Those who opposed the guarantee schemes are now copying them," he said.
"There is good rain like last year, and there are smiles on the faces of people. We are celebrating Dasara grandly. The Jamboo Savari, which will be held on October 2, will have special tableaux to reflect the message of Mahatma Gandhi as it is 100 years since he chaired the Congress session in Belagavi, the Chief Minister said.
'A symbol of communal harmony'
Mysuru district in-charge Minister H C Mahadevappa said, "Dasara is a symbol of communal harmony where we uphold integrity. None is above the Constitution, and our lives are strongly protected by the Constitution. We are free to follow our faiths. We are accountable to the Constitution. Banu Mushtaq is the pride of Karnataka and India. Even at international forums, Dasara is described as India's royal festival of life and legacy. It is a living heritage of Karnataka's cultural pride. Vijayanagar kings and Wadiyars celebrated Dasara to reflect their achievements, victories, and celebrate and foster music, dance, art, sports and so on. Dasara was celebrated by Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan, and Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar had taken Sir Mirza Ismail in the golden howdah, but it was not opposed. So, Dasara has a legacy of inclusiveness," he said.
MLA for Chamundeshwari constituency G T Deve Gowda said, "The goddess is worshipped in nine forms. May the goddess destroy the demon of negativity in each person, and may everyone uphold human values and love everyone equally. In a secular country, we should stop casteism. There are only three classes — underprivileged, middle class and rich," he said.
He added, "During the Dasara high-powered committee meeting, all the MLAs of the Mysuru region had left the selection of the person to inaugurate Dasara to the Chief Minister's discretion. He selected Banu Mushtaq because she had achieved international acclaim being a woman from Karnataka."
MLAs Tanveer Sait, K Harish Gowda, Anil Chikkamadu, Darshan Dhruvanarayana, Ravishankar, T S Srivatsa, and A R Krishnamurthy, MLCs Shivakumar, and D Thimmaiah, and K Vivekananda, vice president of the guarantee schemes implementation committee and others participated.
Deputy Commissioner G Lakshmikanth Reddy, ADC P Shivaraju, zilla panchayat CEO S Yukesh, Police Commissioner Seema Latkar, Principal Secretary, Department of Kannada and Culture, Venkatesh, Sri Chamundeshwari Kshethra Development Authority secretary M J Roopa had made elaborate arrangements.