People's Democracy

‘Karnataka Minister’s Remarks On Tipu Sultan Highly Irresponsible’

The following is the text of the statement issued by 33 eminent historians of the country on September 25, 2006 in reaction to Karnataka minister for education Shankaramurthy’s remarks on Tipu Sultan.

WE view with dismay the remarks about Tipu Sultan attributed to D H Shankaramurthy, Minister for Higher Education, Government of Karnataka. He has added to the existing list of Tipu Sultan’s alleged faults (urged for so long by the British and the Sangh Parivar) that he replaced the Kannada language by Persian in all government work, and so was “anti-Kannada”, and that his memory must therefore be spurned by all patriotic people of Karnataka. If the minister were to look into Tipu Sultan’s letters and orders (e.g. India Office Manuscript, I.O. 4685, folios 130a, 152a, 159a-b, etc.) he would find numerous references to various officials and clerks appointed for keeping records in Kannada and Marathi in the treasury and other government offices, and, wherever named, the persons holding the posts are found to be mostly Hindus. It is highly irresponsible of a minister holding the charge of higher education in one of India’s most advanced states, to indulge in such reckless disregard of historical truth.

The minister reportedly wishes the name of Tipu Sultan to be expunged from all textbooks. Such a desire suits only those who have scant respect for the memory of India’s long fight against foreign invaders or colonial rule. It is inconceivable that the people of Karnataka, and of India, can consign to oblivion a man like Tipu Sultan, a true martyr, whom they have held up as a hero, while the British regarded him as their most redoubtable opponent. The integrity of History textbooks needs to be protected against all such ignorant and partisan onslaughts on them as the one that the Minister of Higher Education in Karnataka has been reported to have undertaken.

1. Professor R.S.Sharma, Former Chairman, ICHR and President Indian History Congress

2. Professor A.R.Kulkarni (Pune) former President Indian History Congress

3. Professor D.N.Jha, former President Indian History Congress

4. Professor Sabyasachi Bhattacharya, former President Indian History Congress

5. Professor J.V.Naik (Pune), General President of the Indian History Congress

6. Professor V.Ramakrishna ( Hyderabad) former Secretary ICHR

7. Professor Shireen Moosvi, former Secretary, IHC

8. Professor M.G.S.Narayan, former Secretary of IHC and Chairman, ICHR

9. Professor Ramkrishna Chatterjee, former Secretary , IHC

10. Professor B.P.Sahu, Secretary, IHC

11. Professor Kesavan Valuthath (Manglore)

12. Professor Rajan Gurukkal ( Kottayam)

13. Professor Aditya Mukherjee, JNU, Delhi

14. Professor K.K.N.Kurup (Calicut), former V.C. Calicut University

15. Professor K.M.Shrimali (Delhi) former Secretary, IHC

16. Professor Suraj Bhan ( Rohtak)

17. Professor Irfan Habib, former President, IHC and Chairman ICHR

18. Professor Arjun Dev, Delhi

19. Professor Iqtidar Alam Khan, former President of IHC (Aligarh)

20. Dr.Biswamoy Pati, Delhi

21. Dr. S.C.Mishra (Delhi)

22. Professor Suvira Jaiswal ( Hyderabad)

23. Professor R. Gopinath ( Delhi)

24. Dr. R.P.Bahuguna ( Delhi)

25. Professor R.C.Thakran ( Delhi)

26. Professor G.P.Sharma ( Delhi)

27. Dr.Amar Farooqui ( Delhi)

28. ProfessorR.P.Rana ( Delhi)

29. Professor H.C.Satyarthi ( Bihar)

30. Professor S.R.Singh, former President, IHC

31. Dr. Ishrat Alam ( Delhi)

32. Professor K.L.Tuteja ( Kurukshetra)

33. Dr. Nalini Taneja ( Delhi) (INN)