Karnataka HC dismisses pleas against invitation to author Banu Mushtaq for Mysuru Dasara inauguration

BENGALURU: The Karnataka High Court on Monday dismissed petitions challenging the state government’s decision to invite Booker Prize-winning author Banu Mushtaq to inaugurate the Mysuru Dasara.

“We are not persuaded to accept the contention that inviting a person of a different faith to inaugurate the event violates the legal or constitutional rights of the petitioners”, the court observed.

Earlier, the state government invited Booker Prize winner Banu Mushtaq to inaugurate the 2025 edition of the Mysuru Dasara festival. The decision to invite Mushtaq had drawn criticism from certain groups, prompting the petitions.

On August 31, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah defended the state government’s decision to invite Kannada writer and Booker Prize winner Banu Mushtaq to inaugurate this year’s Mysuru Dasara, saying the event is a festival for all and not linked to any one religion.

Addressing the media, CM Siddaramaiah said, “Dasara is a non-religious festival. Everyone celebrates the Dasara Naada Habba. Therefore, it is appropriate for it to be inaugurated by writer and activist Banu Mushtaq. I was given authority in a high-level committee regarding the selection of a personality to inaugurate Mysuru Dasara. It was decided that I should invite Booker Prize winner Banu Mushtaq to inaugurate Dasara. Poet Nisar Ahmed has inaugurated Dasara in the past, too. The Naada Habba is a festival for everyone. It is a festival for Hindus, Christians, Buddhists, and Jains”.

He further termed the people opposing Banu Mushtaq’s choice to inaugurate Dasara as “religious fanatics”. “When the Maharaja was not in power, even Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan celebrated Dasara. Mirza Ismail, who was the Diwan, celebrated Dasara. This is a non-religious festival. There are very few writers in Karnataka who have won the Booker Prize. Only religious fanatics talk about Banu Mushtaq being chosen to inaugurate Dasara. They do not know history; it is good to know history”, he added.

Karnataka BJP president B Y Vijayendra, on August 28, hit out at Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar over his ‘Chamundi Hills is not only for Hindus’ remarks and claimed that it was an insult to Hindu traditions and beliefs.

Vijayendra questioned the Siddaramaiah government for inviting renowned Kannada writer Banu Mushtaq to open the Mysuru Dasara and not Deepa Bhasthi, who is the first Indian translator to win an International Booker Prize for translating Mushtaq’s ‘Heart Lamp’. (ANI)