Pay back Tipu’s favours, Obama

Tipu Sultan fans urge US prez to save jobs of software engineers in the land of an old American ally

Pay back Tipu's favours, Obama

Tipu Sultan fans urge US prez to save jobs of software engineers in the land of an old American ally

Tipu admirers would like US President Barack Obama to stop blacklisting Bangalore, home to the Mysore warrior who helped during the American war of independence.
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In a letter to the President, Tipu Prachar Samiti, a group working for Tipu's cause, has urged him to go easy on his economic policies that might result in job loss for several Indians, both in the US and in India. The letter will be posted today.

"Tipu Sultan helped them during their crisis and now it's their turn to keep up the centuries-old relation between Karnataka and US," said Talkad Chickrangegowda, president, Tipu Prachar Samithi.
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The union for IT-enabled services sector estimates over 50,000 employees in India might lose their jobs in the months ahead because of Obama's economic policy.
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"Bangalore alone has about 600,000 people employed in software and outsourcing sectors," said Syed Shafiulla, vice-president of the Samithi.u00a0u00a0u00a0

Recap of favours

In their letter, Samiti members have drawn Obama's attention to the history of the two nations. It reminds the President of Tipu and his father Hyder Ali's favours to America, during its War of Independence (1775-1783).

The letter claims Tipu, besides funding Americans during their struggle, had also supported them by weakening the British in southern India while the American Revolution spread across the world.

It also reminds the President that Tipu supported the Americans through French leader Mareschal de Castre, who was a close friend.
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"Pages from the first American president George Washington's dairies state these facts," added Chickrangegowda. "We are recalling these facts so that he too shows kindness towards Indians for past favours."

The Prachar Samiti claims to have taken up the cause for employees of Accenture, Microsoft, AOL, Cisco, IBM and Intel that have their offices in Bangalore.
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"We are hopeful," he added.

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