Tipu University being opposed by whom ?

[email protected] (Sanath Kumar Belagali)

January 23, 2013

The Sangh Parivar was waiting for this opportunity. A slew of objections have been raised from this very same fascist force ever since Union Minister Rehman Khan proposed the idea of setting up the Tipu Sultan University in Srirangapatna. The BJP and the Sangh Parivar did not have a face to go to people seeking votes this election. The dust of mining scam and land scams had settled on its face. Ministers who grew up in RSS ‘Shakhas’ turned out to be culprits. Almost 50% of the ministers in the state cabinet have criminal cases against them. The pseudo patriots had their tails down. But now, the Tipu University issue has come as a new weapon for them. One after the other, its members have began speaking in opposition to the University proposal.

tipu_sultan It was Chidananda Murthy, onetime researcher who opened his mouth first. Now BJP spokesperson and MLC Gomadhusoodan has done the same by stating that the state government will not allow 2,000 acres of land to be occupied for the University. Minister Suresh Kumar has also stated that the government will ‘analyze’ as to whether University should be built or not. BJP’s minority face Anwar Manippady has not said a word yet. Dharwad MP Prahlad Joshi has joined the chorus.

As Governor H R Bhardwaj said, “Tipu Sultan is a great patriot, a national hero”. The people of Karnataka agree with him. No one is against Tipu Sultan accept a few who have been struck by the RSS disease.

The RSS fears patriots because it did not participate in the freedom struggle. The ‘chaddis’ instead acted as agents of the British. The RSS cannot stand people like Mahatma Gandhi, Bhagat Singh and Tipu Sultan, who fought against the British.

Had Tipu Sultan entered into a compromise with the British, he would not have to give away his sons as hostages to the British and die fighting on the battlefield. His descendents would not have been begging on the streets in Kolkata today either. But Tipu chose not to shake hands with the British. His contributions to this land are immense. To bring about land reforms two centuries ago is no mean achievement.

Refusing offerings from Palegars, Tipu distributed lands which were in their possession among landless farmers. He believed that the cultivator, no matter which caste or religion he belonged to, must be the true possessor of the farming land. 39,000 tanks were built in his time. In his brief tenure, 35% of the land came under the cover of Neravari. It was Tipu who took the initiative to set up the Kannambadi dam.

The experimental man that he was, Tipu would send his ambassadors to various parts of the world to learn more about the newer technologies in agriculture and implement them in his kingdom. The credit for bringing foreign silk seeds to Karnataka goes to Tipu Sultan. Today, Karnataka stands first in the entire country when it comes to silk production. About 3 lakh soldiers were given lands during Tipu’s tenure. It helped in the rise of smaller farmers and feudalism took a beating.

Farmers from backward communities like Kuruba, Eediga, Vokkaliga, Beda, Lingayat etc, breathed a sigh of relief for having got a break from exploitation. It was Tipu’s effort that saw Bangalore’s Lal Bagh possess rare plants and trees as he brought them from various parts of the world.

There is a reason for RSS to hate Tipu. While he was a Muslim was one reason, that he was pro-Dalit was another. Prior to Tipu taking charge, Brahmin Mutts were the biggest feudal forces in Karnataka. These Mutts would exploit Dalits and Shudras who were in large numbers. Tipu clipped the wings of these Mutts and distributed the temple lands among Dalit farmers. British historian Buchanan has said “There were 500 Brahmin houses in Nanjangud. They owned lands which would bring them an income of 14,000 pagodas. In the same village were 700 Dalit and Shudra families. Although they worked on these lands, they had to live outside the village. Tipu broke this Brahmin dominance and set them a monthly income of mere 100 pagodas”.

The likes of Prahlad Joshi, Muthalik, Madhusoodan and other Sangh Parivar elements see this as an anti-Brahmin move of Tipu and cry over it. A senior communist leader of our country Late C Rajeshwar Rao has written a rare book describing Tipu Sultan’s contributions to India. Revolutionary and martyr Saketh Rajan has listed Tipu’s achievements in his research book ‘Making History’. The likes of Chidananda Murthy must read these books. Sangh Parivar elements will not read such books. But researchers like Chidananda Murthy must not be like them.

There is no need for any permission from the cane leaders of Sangh Parivar to set up Tipu Sultan University. Certain media outlets are giving publicity to these fringe elements who are out to seek Hindu vote bank in the name of Tipu University.

Recently, a Kannada TV channel held a discussion on the Tipu University issue. While Pramod Muthalik, Chidananda Murthy and advocate Devaraju spoke on behalf of Sangh Parivar, C S Dwarakanath and Murulasiddappa spoke in favour of Tipu Sultan. The TV show anchor did not give opportunity to Dwarakanath and Murulasiddappa to speak at all. The ‘Chaddi’ anchor attempted to end the programme by letting Muthalik and Chidananda Murthy have the last word. Dwarakanath and Murulasiddappa stated in the end that no matter who opposes the proposal, the Tipu Sultan University will come up.

Media is being used to give publicity to the idea that there is opposition to Tipu Sultan University. In reality, barring a few senseless people, there is no opposition to the move at all. There is no need to fear anyone either. The land of Srirangapatna is not the private property of Madhusoodan or any Sangh Parivar element. There is no need to value their remarks. Let the Central Government just ignore them and come forward to build the university.

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What about Kashmiri Pundits? Three Decades of Exodus

Ram Puniyani

February 22,2020

This January 2020, it is thirty years since the Kashmiri Pundits’ exodus from the Kashmir valley took place. They had suffered grave injustices, violence and humiliation prior to the migration away from the place of their social and cultural roots in Kashmir Valley. The phenomenon of this exodus had been due to the communalization of militancy in Kashmir in the decade of 1980s. While no ruling Government has applied itself enough to ‘solve’ this uprooting of pundits from their roots, there are communal elements who have been aggressively using ‘what about Kashmiri Pundits?’, every time liberal, human rights defenders talk about the plight of Muslim minority in India. This minority is now facing an overall erosion of their citizenship rights.

Time and over again in the aftermath of communal violence in particular, the human rights groups have been trying to put forward the demands for justice and rehabilitation of the victim minority. Instead of being listened to those particularly from Hindu nationalist combine, as a matter of routine shout back, where were you when Kashmiri Pundits were driven away from the Valley? In a way the tragedy being heaped on one minority is being justified in the name of suffering of Pundits and in the process violence is being normalized. This sounds as if two wrongs make a right, as if the suffering Muslim minority or those who are trying to talk in defense of minority rights have been responsible for the pain of Kashmiri Pundits.

During these three, many political formations have come to power, including BJP, Congress, third front and what have you. To begin with when the exodus took place Kashmir was under President’s rule and V. P. Singh Government was in power at the center. This Government had the external support of BJP at that time. Later BJP led NDA came to power for close to six years from 1998, under the leadership of Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Then from 2014 it is BJP, with Narerda Modi as PM, with BJP brute majority is in power. Other components of NDA are there to enjoy some spoils of power without any say in the policies being pursued by the Government. Modi is having absolute power with Amit Shah occasionally presenting Modi’s viewpoints.

Those blurting, ‘what about Kashmiri Pundits?’ are using it as a mere rhetoric to hide their communal color. The matters of Kashmir are very disturbing and cannot be attributed to be the making of Indian Muslims as it is being projected in an overt and subtle manner. Today, of course the steps taken by the Modi Government, that of abrogation of Article 370, abolition of clause 35 A, downgrading the status of Kashmir from a state to union territory have created a situation where the return of Kashmiri Pundits may have become more difficult, as the local atmosphere is more stifling and the leaders with democratic potential have been slapped with Public Safety Act, where they can be interned for long time without any answerability to the Courts. The internet had been suspended, communication being stifled in an atmosphere where democratic freedoms are curtailed which makes solution of any problem more difficult.

Kashmir has been a vexed issue where the suppression of the clause of autonomy, leading to alienation led to rise of militancy. This was duly supported by Pakistan. The entry of Al Qaeda elements, who having played their role against Russian army in 1980s entered into Kashmir and communalized the situation in Kashmir. The initial Kashmir militancy was on the grounds of Kashmiriyat. Kashmiriyat is not Islam, it is synthesis of teachings of Buddha, values of Vedant and preaching’s of Sufi Islam. The tormenting of Kashmiri Pundits begins with these elements entering Kashmir.

Also the pundits, who have been the integral part of Kashmir Valley, were urged upon by Goodwill mission to stay on, with local Muslims promising to counter the anti Pundit atmosphere. Jagmohan, the Governor, who later became a minister in NDA Government, instead of providing security to the Pundits thought, is fit to provide facilities for their mass migration. He could have intensified counter militancy and protected the vulnerable Pundit community. Why this was not done?

Today, ‘What about Kashmiri Pundits?’ needs to be given a serious thought away from the blame game or using it as a hammer to beat the ‘Muslims of India’ or human rights defenders? The previous NDA regime (2014) had thought of setting up enclosures of Pundits in the Valley. Is that a solution? Solution lies in giving justice to them. There is a need for judicial commission to identify the culprits and legal measures to reassure the Pundit community. Will they like to return if the high handed stifling atmosphere, with large number of military being present in the area? The cultural and religious spaces of Pundits need to be revived and Kashmiryat has to be made the base of any reconciliation process.

Surely, the Al Qaeda type elements do not represent the alienation of local Kashmiris, who need to be drawn into the process of dialogue for a peaceful Kashmir, which is the best guarantee for progress in this ex-state, now a Union territory. Communal amity, the hallmark of Kashmir cannot be brought in by changing the demographic composition by settling outsiders in the Valley. A true introspection is needed for this troubled area. Democracy is the only path for solving the emigration of Pundits and also of large numbers of Muslims, who also had to leave the valley due to the intimidating militancy and presence of armed forces in large numbers. One recalls Times of India report of 5th February 1992 which states that militants killed 1585 people from January 1990 to October 1992 out of which 982 were Muslims and 218 Hindus.

We have been taking a path where democratic norms are being stifled, and the promises of autonomy which were part of treaty of accession being ignored. Can it solve the problem of Pundits?

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India’s Composite Culture and Muslim Stalwarts

Ram Puniyani

August 9,2020

Contrary to present impression that Muslims are separatists due to whom the partition of India took place, the truth is that Muslims contributed to freedom movement and upheld India’s composite culture in equal measure. The partition process, mainly due to British policy of ‘divide and rule’ well assisted by Hindu and Muslim communalists is being hidden from the popular vision in India and Muslims in general are held responsible for the same. Not only that the communal historiography introduced by British to pursue their policies has become the bedrock of communal politics and worsening of the perceptions about Muslims is in progress in India.

Yet another example of this has been a series of tweets by the bureaucrat, who is close to retirement, K. Nageshwar Rao. Contrary to the service rules he has made statements, through his tweets which are appreciative of RSS-BJP and demonise the stalwarts Muslim leaders who not only contributed to the freedom movement but also later gave valuable service in laying the foundation of Independent India. As per Rao, his tweets he accuses Maulana Azad and the other Muslim Education ministers of “deracination of Hindus”. After naming “Maulana Abul Kalam Azad — 11 years (1947-58)”; “Humayun Kabir, M C Chagla & Fakruddin Ali Ahmed — 4 years (1963-67)”; and, “Nurul Hassan — 5 years (1972-77)”, he posts: “Remaining 10 years other Leftists like VKRV Rao.”

He points out that their policies were meant to “1. Deny Hindus their knowledge, 2. Vilify Hinduism as collection of superstitions, 3. Abrahamise Education, 4. Abrahamise Media & Entertainment, 5. Shame Hindus about their identity! and 6. Bereft of the glue of Hinduism Hindu society dies.”

Then he goes on to praise RSS-BJP for bringing the glory back to Hindus. These statements of his on one hand promote the Hate and on the other tantamount to political statement, which civil servants should not by making. CPM politburo member Brinda Karat has written a letter to Home Minister Amit Shah to take suitable action against the erring bureaucrat.

Rao begins with Maulana Abul kalam Azad. Surely Azad was one of the major leaders of freedom movement, who was also the youngest President of INC, in 1923 and later between 1940 to 1945. He opposed the partition process tooth and nail till the very last. As the Congress President in 1923 he wrote a remarkable Para, symbolizing the urge for Hindu Muslim unity, “If an angel descends from heaven and offers me Swaraj in 24 hours on condition that I give up Hindu Muslim Unity, I will refuse. Swaraj we will get sooner or later; its delay will be a loss for India, but loss of Hindu Muslim unity will be a loss for human kind”. His biographer Syeda Hamid points out “He spoke without an iota of doubt about how debacle of Indian Muslims has been the result of the colossal mistakes committed by Muslim League’s misguided leadership. He exhorted Muslims to make common cause with their Hindu, Sikh, Christian fellow countrymen.” He was the one who promoted the translation of Hindu scriptures Ramayan and Mahabharat in to Persian.

Surely Mr. Rao, neither has read Azad or read about him nor knows his contributions to making of Modern India. While today, the ideological formation to which Mr. Rao seems to be pledging his commitment is critical of all that happened during Nehru era, it was during this period when as education minister Azad was shepherding the formations of IITs, Academies of Science, Lalit kala Academies. It was during this period that the efforts to promote Indian composite culture were undertaken through various steps.

The other stalwarts who are under the hammer have been outstanding scholars and giants in their own field of education. Humayun Kabir, Nurul Hasan, Dr.Zakir Husssain gave matchless ideas and practical contributions in different fields of education. One can say that contrary to the accusations, India could match up to the Computer era, software and associate things, due to creation of large manpower in these areas mainly due to these foundations which were laid down particularly in the field of education during this period.

The charge that these ‘Muslim’ education ministers white washed the bloody Islamic rule is a blind repetition of the offshoot of communal historiography introduced by British. While Kings were ruling for power and wealth, their courts had Hindus and Muslim both officers. The jaundiced vision sees this as a bloody Islamic rule but as a matter of fact the syncretic culture and traditions developed precisely this period. It was during this period that Bhakti Traidtion with Kabir, Tukaram, Namdeo, Tulsidas flourished. It was during this period that humane values of Sufi saints reached far and wide. It was during this period that poets like Rahim and Raskhan produced their classic literature n praise of Hindu Gods.

We also need to remind ourselves that large number of Muslims participated in the freedom Movement. Two scholars Shamsul Islam and Nasir Ahmad have come out with books on the myriad such freedom fighters, to recall just a few names. Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan, Zakir Hussain, Syed Mohammad Sharfuddin Kadri, Bakht Khan, Muzzafar Ahmad, Mohammad Abdir Rahman,, Abbas Ali, Asaf Ali, Yusuf Mehrali, Maulana Mazahrul Hague.

These are just a few of the names. The movement, led by Gandhi, definitely laid the foundations where composite Indian culture and respect for all religions, others’ religion was paramount and this is what created Indian fraternity, one of the values which finds its place in the preamble of Indian Constitution.

This blaming of Education ministers who were Muslims is an add-on to the process of Islamophobia in India. So for there have been many actions of Muslim kings which are selectively presented as being bloody, now the post Independent History, where glorious contributions have been made by Muslim leaders are being used to further deepen the divisive process. We need to pay respects to builders of modern India, irrespective of their religion.

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