MP, use energies to unite, not divide

Mysuru, which prides itself as the cultural capital of Karnataka, had its own Babri Masjid moment last week when two domes atop a newly constructed bus shelter were demolished overnight because the local MP, Pratap Simha, thought they symbolised a mosque. It is implausible that the MP was ignorant that domes represent the Indo-Saracenic school of architecture, a style that has been adopted across many heritage buildings in the city, including the Mysuru palace. The Indo-Saracenic style was an attempt by the British to fit into the Indian milieu through a secular school of architecture that merged diverse Hindu and Mughal elements, with a touch of the West. The main characteristics of these buildings are bulbous domes, overhanging eaves, pinnacles, minarets, arches and harem windows, among others. Domes are a prominent feature of many important structures in the country, from the Rashtrapati Bhavan to the Vidhana Soudha. While Simha’s outburst maybe partly the fallout of the BJP’s internal politics, coming as it did from the MP, who has an unenviable track record of fanning communal tension in the city, it has other implications, too.

By opposing the design of the bus shelter, the MP was actually hitting two birds with one stone. One, he was trying to settle scores with S A Ramadas, who is the party MLA from Krishnaraja constituency, where the ‘offensive’ structure had come up. Two, he was playing his favourite ‘Hindu-Muslim’ card, which indeed was his pass to politics. Simha had threatened to personally demolish the bus shelter, just like the saffron brigade had done the Babri Masjid, if the Mysuru City Corporation did not. Ramadas, in turn, took his complaint to Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and explained to him that the design of the bus shelter had nothing to do with any religion, but had been inspired by the dominant architectural style of the city. Bommai, under pressure from party hardliners, seems to have been unable to help. Two of the three domes suddenly disappeared, and Ramadas took the responsibility for it. But at what cost?

Recently, Simha had got the name of Tipu Express changed to Wodeyar Express, and some time ago, he had communalised the Hanuman Jayanti celebrations in Hunsur. It is unfortunate that the MP uses his energies to divide rather than unite people, and to sully the fair name of Mysuru in the process.