Battlefield History: Was Tipu Sultan Tiger or Tyrant?

The decision by the Karnataka government to commemorate the birth anniversary of Tipu Sultan has turned into a full-blown political controversy. The BJP is calling him a tyrant, the ruling Congress says he was a progressive and secular leader. The protests over Tipu Sultan Jayanti today turned violent with one person, a VHP worker, losing his life. On The Buck Stops Here, we ask: why is the debate around Tipu Sultan as volatile as it is? And when will our politicians stop appropriating historical figures in a reductionist narrative?