Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (SP)
Udupi, Jun 30: State Finance Commission vice-president D H Shankaramurty told the students of Volakadu government high school here that it would be wrong to refer to Alexander as ‘the Great’. In fact, he should be called 'Alexander the Robber', he felt. This happened during his visit to the said high school on Monday June 29. It may recalled that Murty had kicked up a controversy by trying to set right history by throwing light on the alleged dark side of Tippu Sultan, when he was the minister for higher education in the state.
"The British termed the emperor as the Great. That is distorted history. Alexander defeated our ancestors by using the brute force of soldiers. We should never accept him to be 'Great'. It would be apt to call him a Robber," Shankaramurty asserted.
Speaking after inaugurating the student government at the high school, he recollected that when he was a ninth standard student, he had objected to Alexander being referred as 'Great' and he had insisted on calling him a 'Robber'. Rather than the riches of the country like diamonds, gold and gems, he was more inclined towards the rich treasure of knowledge found here, he said.
Shankaramurty also held himself strongly against calling the first freedom struggle of 1857 as 'Sepoy Mutiny'. There should a debate on this issue. If the patriots had come together, they would have won independence then. "We have no unity and that is the reason we remained bonded for a thousand years. The theories expounded by Pythagoras and Newton’s Law were already present in India long before. But we have failed in our duty to put forth these facts while teaching history," he felt.
In-charge president of the zilla panchayat Jerald Fernandes presided. Municipal councillors Shyamprasad Kudva and Geeta M Shet, and deputy director of public instruction K Anand participated as chief guests. Headmaster Ashok Kamath administered the oath. Rashmishree welcomed.