e are deeply hurt by the controversy that unfolded over the State government organising Tipu Jayanti celebrations,” said Shahzada Ismail Shah, the 27-year-old seventh great-grandson of Tipu Sultan, on Wednesday.
Mr. Shah, who came down to the city from Kolkata to thank Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Minister for Minorities Welfare and Wakf Qamarul Islam for celebrating Tipu Jayanti as a government programme, said the family had “literally shed tears” after learning about the controversy.
His brother-in-law, S. Syed Mansoor (married to Mr. Shah’s sister, Shehzadi Rahimunnissa), who resides in Bengaluru, said the controversy was created by “some people who do not know about Tipu’s history”, his principles of secularism and administrative reforms.
“Although we do not want to comment on the violence or the political opposition, we want people who are opposing it to first study Tipu’s history and then comment,” he said.
“We were very happy that the Karnataka government declared Tipu Jayanti as a government programme for the first time. But, the controversy following the celebrations that resulted in the loss of two lives has hurt us. Whatever their political affiliations, two lives have been lost unnecessarily,” Mr. Mansoor said.
Pointing out that Tipu had made generous donations to several temples and mutts, Mr. Mansoor said, “We have spoken to the seers of these mutts, including the seer of Adichunchungiri Mutt. All of them are aware of Tipu’s secularism and have a good opinion about him. We will meet them again shortly.”
Mr. Qamural Islam, when asked if Tipu’s descendents wanted anything from the government, said, “They have not come here to beg. They have come to thank the government.”
