HC to hear today PIL against govt holding Tipu Jayanthi

A PIL has been filed in the High Court of Karnataka, seeking directions to restrain the state government from celebrating Hajarath Tipu Sultan Jayanthi throughout the state.

The petitioner, Manjunath K P, a resident of Kodagu district has also sought directions to restrain the celebrations in his home district as he contends that Tipu Sultan was responsible for the sharp decline of the Kodava race.

The petition comes in the wake of recent controversy surrounding the celebration of Tipu Jayanthi as a government event on November 10.

The petition has been filed as a response to the circular dated October 24 issued by the Director, Department of Kannada and Culture for celebrating Tipu Jayanthi throughout the state.

The petitioner states that if an interim order of stay is not granted to stall the celebration of Tipu Jayanthi in Kodagu district and other parts of the state, it will result in communal disharmony.

The petitioner has provided historical representations stating that Tipu Sultan's reign in Coorg resulted in the conversion of Kodavas and he had killed thousands of Kodavas as a retaliation to his defeat by them.

He also states that there was large-scale communal violence when Tipu Jayanthi was celebrated in 2015.

According to the petitioner, Tipu was an invader and a dictator and glorifying such a person is a matter of shame. He adds that it is an irony that the government wants to celebrate the birth anniversary of a person of this stature as he believed in the ethical cleansing of the Kodava community.

The petition will be heard on Friday.