Sir — This refers to the article, “Exorcising the ghost of Tipu Sultan” (November 15) by Aparna Patwardhan. While celebration of important dates of great leaders and patriots is welcome but if the person happens to be a bigot and perpetrator of loathsome acts towards the other majority, one does not even deserve description, let alone his birth anniversary being observed. The celebration of Tipu’s birth anniversary by the Congress Government in Karnataka is nothing short of appeasement politics for vote-banks.
The writer must be applauded for giving details about the non-descript autocrat who surpassed even Aurangzeb in inflicting agony to the majority Hindus and the minority Christians. At least Aurangzeb was not heard to be of salacious nature. Contrary to Tipu Sultan’s licentious nature, Shivaji, a Maratha warrior, on being offered a middle-aged beautiful lady by one of his lieutenants, not only apologised to her and called her “mom”, but also punished the person who had captured her to be taken before him.