We owe a lot to Mysuru Maharajas for protecting our culture and heritage: Sudha Murty

Bengaluru: Paying tribute to the royal family of Mysuru, Infosys Foundation chairperson, Sudha Murty on Saturday said the state owed the Mysuru maharajas for protecting Kannada heritage and culture by organising the Nada Habba Dasara during their reign.

Speaking at a Meet the Press programme jointly organised by the Bengaluru Press Club and Bengaluru Reporters' Guild here, Ms Murty said, "We definitely owe  a lot to our Mysuru maharajas, who protected our culture and heritage by organising the Dasara for several centuries. Even when I was young girl, I went to Mysuru with my parents just to see the grandeur of the celebrations, which are an attraction even today.” 

Although Karnataka, prior to its unification, had many principalities, with  Bombay-Karnataka governed by the Maratha rulers, Hyderabad- Karnataka under the Nizamas of Hyderabad and the Kasargod region ruled by Malayalam speaking monarchs, it was only the Mysuru maharajas who protected and propagated Kannada language and  heritage, she noted.

 “For this work of our Mysuru marajas, we must forever remain indebted to them,” she added, revealing that she would be part of the Dasara festivities organised by both the state government and the Mysuru royal family this year. Asked for her views on the demand in some quarters for a division for Karnataka, Ms Murty said she could not imagine such an eventuality. "I do not agree with this. I hail from North Karnataka and my husband is from Mysuru. So I would always want Karnataka to remains united," she insisted.

Would she ever join politics?  Replying in the negative, Ms Murthy said she was happy doing work for the Infosys Foundation . "To do people's work, you don’t need  to join politics. I have still a lot to accomplish  as Infosys Foundation chairperson," she maintained. 

Strongly defending her husband and IT czar, Narayanmurthy, Ms Murty  regretted that some people held him responsible for the heavy traffic in Bengaluru. “Actually, it was his vision to set up Infosys in Bengaluru that not only catapulted it to the IT world map, but also created the biggest employment hub in the country. Aren't these big achievements in themselves? But there are people who will criticise  everything. Some even blame my husband for the city’s chaotic traffic. What to do?," she shrugged.