World famous Mysuru Dussehra celebrations Booker Award winner Kannada Writer Banu Mushtaq hot
This year, the celebration of culture, art and cultural identity of Karnataka has turned into a political storm. The decision of the Congress government led by Siddaramaiah for the inauguration of the world famous Mysuru Dussehra did not like the Bharatiya Janata Party at all. On August 22, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced, “This year, Hassan’s writer, lawyer and activist Banu Mushtaq, who won the International Booker Award for his book Heart Lamp this year, will inaugurate the festival.” The Chief Minister emphasized that it is a matter of pride for the entire state to receive the Buker prize of Karnataka and such an iconic female is a historic achievement.
After the news became public, Mushtaq accepted this invitation politely and described the Dussehra festival as the festival of all. He also emphasized his deep cultural relations with this festival. Recalling attending the famous Jambu ride elephant parade with her parents in childhood, she said that calling Goddess Chamundeshwari a ‘mother’ and calling the festival a Nada Habba, both are integral part of the culture of Karnataka, which she gives importance as someone else.
Siddaramaiah
But former Mysore MP Pratap Sinha, MP Tejashwi Surya and Shobha Karandalaje along with BJP state president B.Y. Vijayendra immediately objected to this selection of the government. Even the expelled BJP MLA Basangauda Patil Yatanal also demanded that “she would continue to follow Islam or now she believes that all the way leads to salvation.” However, the same thing was kept by the descendants of Mysore and the current BJP Lok Sabha MP Yaduvir Wadiyar. He praised Mushtaq’s literary achievements, but emphasized that Dussehra is a “Hindu religious festival” based on scriptures and Puranas. He urged Mushtaq to express reverence for Goddess Chamundeshwari and Bhuvaneshwari.
The reason for these communal reactions to Mushtaq is not only his Muslim, but also his speech at a literary festival held in Bangalore in January 2023. In that speech, he criticized Kannada as Goddess Bhuvaneshwari and the use of Hindu rituals such as turmeric and kumkum for the Kannada flag. He had said, “You made Kannada language Kannada Bhuvaneshwari, you gave the flag to Arishina and Kumkum and placed it on a pedestal. What is left for me now? My boycott was started long ago. Now it is happening completely.” He argued that painting Kannada as a goddess in this way, herself is happening in the form They do not worship the idols. After this, some right -wing social media handle has again broadcast them and made them “anti -Kannada”.
Stunning sun
After all these criticisms, the Congress firmly presented its side. Home Minister God reminded critics that Dussehra is not only a Hindu festival, but a state festival organized by the government. Minister H.K. Patil said that “it is unfortunate that some people are doing politics on the festival of the state.” Congress MP Syed Naseer Hussain says that Mushtaq is a progressive literary person and the opening of the festival is being opposed only because of his religion.
In support of this decision of the Government of Karnataka, writers and cultural personalities have also come. Kannada reviewer Rahmat Tariqre explains that this is not the first time a Muslim is involved in Dasharhara festival. In 2017 before Mushtaq, late poet K.S. Nisar Ahmed Devi has inaugurated the festival by doing a wreath on Chamundeshwari. Earlier in the 1930s and 1940s, Sir Mirza Ismail, who was a Diwan in the Wadiyar Gharana, has also been a part of the ceremony. He was the one who expanded Dussehra as an industrial and cultural exhibition, due to which the festival could take shape in modern form.
Talking to Outlook, the chairman of the Kannada Development Authority and the famous writer Professor Purushottam Bilimale asks, “If Nisar Ahmed can inaugurate it, why not Banu?” This step is towards making Nad Habba more secular and inclusive. “He says, more criticism of Mushtaq than Ahmed is not just because of his Muslims, but being a woman and raising voice against society. This is why people are more bitter about them. Bilmile says, “If you look at Ahmed’s case, he has written many poems in praise of Hindu deities.” Mushtaq has already expressed her reverence in Chamundeshwari. In any government program, discrimination cannot be done on the basis of religion, language, caste or culture, because the constitution does not allow it.
Talking to Outlook, senior Kannada writer K.S. God also says that Mysore Dussehra is different because it includes devotion as well as literature, music, food and exhibitions. He insists, “Inviting a female writer like Mushtaq should be seen as cultural progress. The state is bound by the Constitution, which does not allow discrimination. Inviting them is a progressive step. ”
But some right -wing writers and cultural activists are now giving new turns to the controversy. Talking to Outlook, the famous Kannada writer and theater personality Aandanda C. Chariappa alleged that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had “suspicious motive” in choosing Banu Mushtaq. He says that “the Booker award was not for the original Kannada language but for its English translation, which was done by Hindu woman journalist Deepa Bhasti.” If religion is not an issue, then why did the Chief Minister not invite Deepa. Therefore, it is suspected that the issue is religion.
Wadiyar descendant in palanquin
The dispute has also resumed the debate on Kannada identity. Goddess Bhuvaneshwari’s association with Kannada language came to light in the 20th century itself. Impressed by Hindu symbols of Marathi nationalism and Tilak, in the 1930s, Kannada workers adopted the image of Matradevi, saffron color and presented the Vijayanagara Empire as a Hindu Kannada Empire opposing Muslim Bahmani. The same image is reflected in ‘Jai Bharat Janata Tanujate’, the kingdom of Kuvempu.
Such a debate in Mysore is ironic because Mysore has a rich and multicultural heritage. The city is also considered to be the cultural capital of Karnataka. Mysore extended the weaving of Karnataka music, Urdu poetry, yoga tradition, colonial architecture and silk. The Wadiyar family equally protected both Hindu temples and Christian churches and supported both Urdu poets with Sanskrit scholars.
This year, this festival will start on the first day of Sharadiya Navratri i.e. 22 September and end on October 2 on Dussehra. 2 October is also Gandhi Jayanti. The ceremony will begin with an elephant tour under the name Gajpayana in Mysore. This will be followed by Navratri rituals in Chamundi Hills. On this occasion, churches and mosques will also be illuminated as goodwill with historical Mysore Palace for 22 days.
A grand jambu ride of mother Chamundeshwari is taken out on Vijayadashami. In this, the statue of Chamundeshwari is placed on the elephant and rotated on the streets. Millions of spectators visit the mother on both sides of the road. Along with this, there are many cultural programs, in which wrestling matches, exhibitions and Indian Air Force air shows further increase the grandeur. It is to be seen whether Banu will be a witness to this grandeur or not.
