Udupi: The Karnataka Gourava Samrakshana Samithi Udupi staged a protest on November 6, against the decision of state government to celebrate ‘Tipu Jayanti’ the birth anniversary of Tipu Sultan as a state-sponsored event.
Addressing the protesters, Robert Rosario leader of United Christian Association Mangaluru said that Tipu Sultan destroyed many Catholic churches when he invaded Mangaluru, Udupi and Karwar. “The Catholics of this region still carry the pain of his persecution. Tipu Sultan forcibly converted as many as 80,000 Catholics to Islam in coastal Karnataka. The Siddaramaiah led Congress government is playing vote bank politics to appease a particular community by celebrating the birth anniversary of Tipu Sultan. The people of Karnataka should celebrate November 10 as the black day of the state. On Vijaya Dashami Day, our Hindu brothers are burning effigies of the demon Ravana. In the same way, Christians of coastal Karnataka should burn the effigies of Tipu Sultan on May 4, his death day,” he added.
Sri Rajashekarananda Swamiji of Vajradehi Math Gurupur said that Tipu was neither a sultan nor a great warrior. “He was a Hindu hater and converted several thousands of Hindus to Islam. Tipu was not a brave soldier; he was a coward. He was not secular; he hated Hindus. He has shown his hatred by proselytizing Hindus to Islam by committing a series of massacres. Celebrating Tipu’s birth anniversary is nothing but vote bank politics. Every citizen of Karnataka should observe November 10 as the state government’s Suicide Day for insulting the sentiments of the Hindu community,” said the Swamiji.
Karnataka Gourava Samrakshana Samithi president Dinesh Ganiga, former MLA Raghupathi Bhat, UCA president Alban Menezes, Maurice D’Sa were present.
