The State government will celebrate the 200th anniversary of Rani Channamma’s victory over the British forces in Kittur in 2024, in a grand manner, Satish Jarkiholi, Minister for Public Works and district in charge, said in Kittur on Monday. He was speaking at the inauguration of Kittur Utsav in the historical fort.
“All Indians need to remember the date October 23, 1824. It was the day when Rani Channamma’s armies defeated the invading East India Company soldiers outside the Kittur fort. We will organise a grand function to celebrate this,” the Minister said.
The celebrations will include all round development of Kittur town, preservation and beautification of the Kittur fort, providing tourist amenities and to produce literature about the Royal house of Kittur in multiple languages. He said the Kittur Utsav will be a grand spectacle with artists of international fame performing and renowned historians speaking about the kingdom’s contribution to India’s freedom struggle.
He said the State government will start preparations for the event in a few days. A tourist circuit of the places associated with Kittur’s history — Kittur, Kakati, Nandagad, Amatur, Bailhongal, and Sangolli — will be developed.
“Successive governments have been organising the Kittur Utsav for 25 years now. It was started by then CM S. Bangarappa. The department of public works has been releasing ₹5 crore per year for Kittur’s development. This will continue,” the Minister said.
Babasaheb Patil, MLA, demanded that Kittur Utsav be declared as a festival of national importance.
Iranna Kadadi, Rajya Sabha member, said that the State government should work with the centre on developing the Belagavi–Dharwad industrial corridor that passes through Kittur.
Sri Basava Jaya Mrutyunjay Swami of Panchamasali Peetha demanded that the Union government declare that the Kittur victory of 1824 was the first war of independence and not the one in 1857. He also demanded that the Union government change all British era records to remove the term `Sepoy mutiny’. He urged the State government to request the union government to rename the Belagavi airport after Rani Channamma.
The guests felicitated Mallasarja Chandrashekar Desai Tolagi, a descendant of Kittur Channamma.
MLAs, MLCs, deputy commissioner and utsav committee chairman Nitesh Patil, S.P. Bheemashankar Guled, Vidyavati Bhajantri, Deputy Director of Kannada and Culture, and others were present.
