Mysoreans want govt to call a truce with Wadiyars

Less than a month after Dasara, the long-standing tussle between the State government and Wadiyars is back in news.

Members of Arasu community and various organisations have formed Aramane Ulisi Horata Samiti (Save Palace Struggle Committee) and have decided to take on the government to seek justice in favour of Pramodadevi Wadiyar, wife of royal scion Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar.

Earlier, Pramodadevi had blamed successive governments for waging legal battles, deterring the royal family from selecting a suitable heir even after the death of her husband in December last.

In a meeting convened at Rachappaji Temple on Chamaraja Double Road, in the city, on Sunday, it was resolved to take out a padayatra from Mysore to Raj Bhavan, in Bangalore, to exhort Governor Vajubhai Rudabhai Vala to safeguard the interest of Wadiyars. Prior to that, a human chain will be formed around the Palace to set the tone for the struggle.

Puttaswamy, a retired tahsildar and Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS) leader, said, the rulers of Mysore were very keen on keeping their palaces as a monumental piece. Narrating an incident related to the last days of the then Maharaja of Mysore Jayachamaraja Wadiyar, Puttaswamy said:

“I was working in the taluk office then, when vested interests conspired to convert Rajendra Vilas Palace atop the Chamundi Hill into a hotel, in the absence of the maharaja. They wanted licence to start the hotel, but the maharaja was on a foreign tour. When it was decided to keep the proposal pending, a telegram from the maharaja stated: “I wanted to keep Rajendra Vilas as a monument and no such proposals to make it a hotel should be entertained”.

Another farmer leader Ashwathanarayan Raje Urs said, its high time the people of Mysore display unity in support of Maharani Pramodadevi Wadiyar.

Subramanya Raje Urs from Arasu Mahasabha demanded Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Revenue Minister V Sreenivas Prasad to take note of the plight of Pramodadevi. “The government should share the gate revenue generated from Palace visitors with the maharani, who has been finding it difficult to maintain the Palace (residential portion and private museum) on her own,” he said.

‘Nala Beedhi’ Ravi, a Kannada activist, bemoaned, “The successive governments have neglected the royal family and it was evident during the recent Dasara too, when the authorities showed scant respect to royal scion Srikantadatta Wadiyar”.

Premkumar from Mysore Rakshana Vedike appealed to the government to withdraw the legal suit on acquiring the Palace and hand over the total control of the Palace to Pramoadadevi. Gopalraje Urs, a former darbar bhakshi, Nandish Urs, Mahesh Urs and others spoke.