BENGALURU: The eighth generation descendants of the 18th-century ruler Tipu Sultan were honoured and felicitated by the All Karnataka Sufi Saints Organisation and Federation of Tippu Sultan Associates group at the Press Club here on Tuesday.
The organisations honoured ‘Tipu Sultan Ekta’ award on Prince Faraz Ali Shah Sultan and Prince Bilal Ali Shah Sultan on the occasion of Tipu Sultan’s birth anniversary celebrated on November 10.
The organisations in a joint press release stated that both Faraz and Bilal’s father Asif Ali Shah had petitioned for their property rights to the Karnataka government when J. H. Patel was the chief minister. The CM had got the petition investigated and had assured him of the property rights. But the succeeding governments overlooked the assurance made by J.H Patel until former chief minister B.S Yeddyurappa got all the documents of Tipu’s descendants got verified. He then ordered to include the Tipu’s descendants in the list of freedom fighters’ families who receive special benefits and honours from the government,” the release stated.
Both Faraz and Bilal thanked the state government for celebrating the Tipu Jayanti. The organisation members demanded that the state government provide Tipu’s descendants with a place in the city and bring them back to the state from Lucknow where they currently reside. “Tipu Sultan though was a national hero, Mysore was his base from where he initiated the struggle against the British. It is apt for his descendants to live in the state from where their forefather ruled. The state government which is honouring the national hero by celebrating his birth anniversary should also consider giving the same status to his descendants which the families of other freedom fighters enjoy,” Secretary of KPCC Minority Department, Dr. Gulshad Ahmed said.
