Bengaluru :

Running against time in fulfilling politically significant obligations days before announcement of the assembly elections, the government is likely to seek the Centre’s help to bring back 19th century queen Kittur Rani Chennamma’s sword, believed to be kept in the London Museum.
Lingayat community members, especially those from the politically dominant Pachamasali sect which the queen is believed to be from, have been demanding that the sword, reportedly used by Chennamma while fighting the Britishers, be brought back.

Sources said chief minister Siddaramaiah is likely to write to the ministry of external affairs about the sword after the state cabinet meeting scheduled on Wednesday. The meeting is expected to approve the report, recommending separate religion status to the Lingayat community.

The community members met Siddaramaiah at Koodalasangama in Bagalkot district on Monday, and urged him to expedite the process. “The issue will get complicated if the government fails to fulfil the procedural steps before the announcement of elections,” said Shivanand Jamdar, a former bureaucrat and general secretary of Lingayat Mahasabha Vedike.

Demanding initiation of diplomatic consultations between India and Britain in the matter, Jagadguru Jaya Mrutyunajya Swamy, pontiff of Lingayat Panchamasali Mahapeetha of Koodalasangama, said: “We’re ready to fulfil all formalities and mobilise required funds to bring back the sword.”

Earlier in 2012, the BJP government had set up a committee headed by scholar M M Kalburgi to look into the issue. But efforts came to a standstill after he was gunned down by unknown assailants in 2015.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> City News> Bangalore News / by B V Shiva Shankar / TNN / March 13th, 2018