Subscribe to Site Feed

what's new f.a.q about us feedback

history women portraits mythology

arts music culture paintings

tags sitemap timeline index a-z

pictures! stamps erotica biographies

gandhi tribals temples religions

 

Best of AnthoBLOGy • Unripe Revolution • Rooster's Dharma • Don't Know Jack • No Love for Condi • Blogger's Block • Father of the Bride • TinTin's Diary - I • TinTin's Diary II • Hate Bollywood • Child Labor • M.F.Husain Guilty •Marathi & Konkani • Artist's Daughter • India's First IT Guru

Computing, Libraries, Tennis, India & other interests of Vikas Kamat

Tippu and Kannada

Tippu and Kannada (from a conversation with Amma) Amma: Have you heard about the new controversy about Tippu and Kannada? It has now turned into Hindu Vs Muslim fight, with political ramifications. Vikas: Yes, I think the comment by the minister for education was uncalled for. Leaders especially have to be careful not to scratch on old wounds, lest how will they heal? Amma: An editorial person from Deccan Herald called and wanted my opinion on the matter. When I declined, he was persistent and kept asking me "Is it true or not that Tippu favored Persian over Kannada ?" I explained to him that I do not want part of the controversy, and my interest is only academic. Vikas: You did a good thing Amma. You don't know how much of angry email we get about Bappa's 1999 article on Tippu Sultan in spite of an editorial disclaimer at the beginning of the article. No matter what you said, the press would have misquoted you and dragged you into controversy. See how they have dragged Girish Karnad, although he is a fiction writer! Amma: But what angered me was the reporter's insistence to quote me. He goes "So, do you know or do not know about Tipu's governance in Kannada?" I told him rudely -- "I know, but I am not going to tell you." and I let him go. Vikas: He should know not to bother you Amma. Didn't the Islamic fundamentalists burn Deccan Herald offices for what they thought was anti-Islamic article? Amma: I'm glad you remember. It was an award winning short story called "Mohammed the Idiot", a piece of fiction around a character called Mohammed. It is such a common name in India! Our leaders are champions of stirring up communal trouble, and they said it is insulting to the Prophet. No matter what opinion I gave, it is bound to offend one of the stances of the controversy. It is best to stay neutral. When your Bappa died, we were in too deep a shock to notice it, but a communal conflict started in Gujarat whose after-effects we are still seeing. This current controversy is just a continuation of that ill-will. (Comments Disabled for Now. Sorry!) First Written: Wednesday, September 27, 2006 Last Modified: 9/27/2006 2:26:36 AM Tags: controversy, tipu_sultan

Browse More Entries

About Me:

• My Home Page
• Contact me
• Kamat Family Album

Powered  NOT by Blogger or MovabaleType or WordPress, but by SimplyBlog, a software I wrote to create blogs. See details of implementation or download SimplyBlog.