By M. K. Ashoka
Bengaluru, Feb 19 (IANS): The ruling BJP, making all out efforts to come back to power in Karnataka mainly on the Hindutva and development agenda, wants to capitalize on the alleged atrocities committed by the 18th century Mysuru ruler Tipu Sultan in the south Karnataka region.
The BJP government has ended "Salaam Aarati" (rituals performed in the name of Tipu Sultan in temples) and renamed it as 'Aarati Namaskara".
The request for this was submitted by the Karnataka Dharmika Parishat which comes under the Muzrai department. The Mandya district administration had submitted a renaming proposal to the Parishat following the request by the management of Cheluvanarayana Swamy temple in Melukote town.
The temple has conducted the 'Salaam Aarati' daily at 7 p.m. since Tipu's reign. The successive Congress and JD (S) governments and progressive thinkers maintained that 'Salaam Aarati' is a sign of inclusiveness and tolerance.
The state government has ended the custom not only in the Melukote temple, but across all south Karnataka temples to send out a clear message of Hindutva to the people.
Insiders said that ending the ritual of 'Salaam Aarati' is symbolic, but it is all about rectifying the wounds inflicted by Tipu Sultan on the Mandyam Iyengars, who were allegedly massacred in their thousands for their attempt to dethrone him.
Every Diwali, the Mandyam Iyengars, who reside in Melukote, a historical temple town in Mandya district, do not light diyas on the first day of the festival of lights. This is done to mourn the deaths of their ancestors.
The locals in Melukote explain that 230 years ago in the 18th century, the Mandyam Iyengars, who came here from Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh, were in the inner circle of the dethroned Mysuru Wadiyars and worked with Lakshmi Ammanni Devi, mother of Krishna Raja Wadiyar III.
They were negotiating with the Britishers to overthrow Tipu Sultan and restore the kingdom to the Wadiyars. Tipu Sultan's father Hyder Ali, a soldier in the Mysuru army, had taken over and become the king of Mysuru.
The local history says that Tipu Sultan, after coming to know about the efforts to dethrone him, ordered the massacre of the Mandyan Iyengars. On Naraka Chaturdashi day, when the people were offering prayers, the army of Tipu Sultan attacked them.
The attack was so brutal that 1,500 people from 800 families were killed and their bodies hung on trees in the areas surrounding the temple. However, historians differ on whether the massacre took place in Melukote or Srirangapatnam.
Two centuries later, the ruling BJP in Karnataka has utilised the issue which came up when the textbook revision controversy erupted recently. The BJP leaders tweeted and issued statements to put an end to the glorification of Tipu Sultan in textbooks.
Insiders said that the issue which appeals to Hindus is being capitalized upon by the saffron party. 'Salaam Aarati' performed at Melukote Cheluvanarayana Swamy temple everyday was a symbol of slavery that Tipu Sultan imposed on the local people after the massacre, they added.
Karnataka Home Minister Araga Janendra has defended the decision to rename the ritual, saying the work to strengthen our culture should be undertaken in temples.
Minister for Muzrai, Shahikala Jolle stated that only the name of the ritual has been changed and the ritual will continue.
The BJP, which never attained a majority in the state as it could not find its roots in southern Karnataka, is using all ways and means to strike a chord with the people of the region. It is to be seen whether the people, who stood behind the Congress and the JD (S), will support the BJP.