M’lore: Kittel’s name now a contender for minority university

Bellevision Media Network

Mangalore, 16 Feb 2013 (TOI): Social activist T J Abraham on Friday demanded the proposed minority university in Srirangapatna to be named after the legend in Kannada literary world, Rev Ferdinand Kittel.

 

Abraham said none would dispute Kittel’s love for Kannada and the state. Kittel compiled the first 1,758 page Kannada-to-English dictionary in 1894.

 

He said naming the university after Mysore ruler Tipu Sultan was adding insult to the injury as far as Christians in coast were concerned as nearly 80,000 of them had been persecuted by him in 1784.

 

He clarified that his stand should not be construed as anti-Muslim, since he would not have objected to naming the university after any personality like saint poet and social reformer Shishunala Sharif or former president APJ Abdul Kalam. "But naming the university in Srirangapatna after Tipu is unacceptable as it has lot of painful memories associated for Christians here," he said and blamed Congress for playing minority politics.

 

Illegal sand mining

Abraham, who has also filed several cases of corruption against prominent politicians in the Lokayukta court, will take up the illegal sand mining issue in Udupi district.

 

Calling Udupi a "mini-Bellary" as far as sand mining was concerned, he said: "I will get first hand information when I visit Udupi on Saturday. My next campaign will be on this."

 

Referring to the brutal murder of RTI activist Vandaru Vasudeva Adiga, Abraham said he will soon call a meeting of all RTI activists in Bangalore to ensure that RTI activists are protected.