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The picture-perfect Kodagu district with its beautiful misty hills, extensive acres of sweet-smelling coffee plantations, and spice adding to its allure, is also in the midst of election heat.
Known as the Scotland of India, Kodagu has an old-world charm, and the people are known for their warm and welcoming nature. As we drive into Madikeri, which is considered the district headquarters, the lush rainforests dotted with coffee and spice plantations, the vibrant Kodava community, and the gurgling River Kaveri that passes through the region showcase the right tradition and vibrancy.
News18 travelled through the winding road of beauty towards Madikeri to speak to the people to get a sense of what is brewing in this election in the land of coffee and what is spicing up the campaigns.
In the 2018 Karnataka assembly polls, the Bharatiya Janata Party pitched its election battle on emotional issues like Sri Guru Dattatreya Bababudangiri Swami Dargah, hijab, and Tipu Sultan in the Malnad region, which includes Kodagu, Shivamogga, and Chikkamagaluru. This led the party to win six out of the seven seats here.
This time around, the issue of Tipu once again raised its head as Karnataka BJP president Nalin Kumar Kateel began the campaign saying the 2023 elections would be fought based on Tipu Sultan versus Savarkar. Kodagu also has a connection with the 17th-century leader and, over two centuries after his death, Tipu Sultan continues to haunt it.
But is it an election issue this time in Kodagu, having seen violent clashes in 2015 and tense moments in every poll year?
“Yes. The moment the issue of Tipu and Tipu Jayanti was spoken about by the BJP leaders, we agreed that it should be a subject that the new generation should know before they vote. They should know about the tyrant who tortured and murdered our ancestors. Every grain of soil is soaked with the blood of a Kodava who faced the wrath of Tipu,” said Monappa P, a coffee planter who lives in Virajpet.
According to historical reports, Tipu Sultan invaded Kodagu in 1788 and devastated villages and towns in the region by burning down settlements and forcing people to convert to Islam. Tipu’s courtier and biographer Mir Hussein Kirmani documented how the sultan bragged about taking 40,000 Coorgis as hostages and forcibly converting them to Islam so that they could be attached to his army. Kodavas are known for their valour and fighting skills.
Bharat, a resident of Kushalnagar, points out that though Tipu as an election issue is not at the top of the minds of people, it certainly will be at the back of their minds when they vote.
“The Tipu Jayanti issue was raised by political parties for their political interests. Did the common man ask to celebrate Tipu Jayanti? No. Even if the Muslims don’t want it, then why should parties even raise it? People in Kodagu want development, proper roads, and lighting, not Tipu to bring darkness in their lives,” he said.
Having been ravaged by floods, facing deforestation, and fluctuating prices for coffee, the people appeal for solutions to these problems rather than rake up communal issues like Tipu.
Another voter from Madikeri, Balakrishna says they have been told that if the Congress comes to power, it will revive Tipu Jayanti and that would be an insult to the Kodagu people.
“The BJP has done right by trying to erase the bloody past and Tipu from textbooks and other references because it only brings pain,” he told News18.
However, voters like Uma who sells woven baskets and handmade bamboo products in Basavanahalli (Madikeri) say that one should not dwell on Tipu, which is a political issue, but the parties that are campaigning. The Congress, Janata Dal (Secular), and BJP should fulfil the promises they make of giving women better opportunities, addressing unemployment, and decreasing inflation, she says.
“Let them bring down the LPG prices. Let whoever comes to power work for the underprivileged communities and give them a better livelihood. As a lady, I know the struggle we have to manage our homes with frugal earnings and heavy taxation. As voters, we responsibly cast our vote in favour of a party that we hope will deliver on promises of a better life. Please don’t cheat us and waste our vote,” she appeals.
The Malnad region of Karnataka which includes Kodagu, Shivamogga, and Chikkamagaluru stands apart from the rest of Karnataka as the BJP has an upper hand here. As a leader points out, AK Subbaiah, Karnataka’s first BJP president, hailed from the Kodagu district and the party has consistently grown its base since.
Earlier last year, when the leader of the opposition and former chief minister Siddaramaiah reached Kodagu to assess the floods, he met with stiff resistance from local BJP workers. They waved black flags and photos of Hindu ideologue VD Savarkar while shouting “Go Back, Siddaramaiah.” They even threw a picture of Savarkar at him through the vehicle window. It was under Siddaramaiah’s regime that it was decided to celebrate the birthday of Tipu as Tipu Jayanti on November 10 in 2015 as a government function. Two people lost their lives in Madikeri in violent clashes. Since then the region is on alert each time the issue of Tipu raises its head.
Kodagu will witness heated electioneering on April 29 as union home minister Amit Shah will visit Madikeri and appeal to the voters to continue to support the BJP and help the party retain power.
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