The demand for a separate religion status to Lingayat seems to be losing its steam after two factions of the community are raising contradictory demands. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who has got memorandums from the different factions, has asked the community to submit a unanimous plea if the government is to go ahead with the recommendations for a separate religion.
A massive rally held at Belagavi on last Tuesday saw a section of the Lingayat seers demand for a separate religion tag, while threatening to “dethrone” seers who fail to follow the Basava philosophy. They also demanded that the politicians opposing the move or remaining silent over the issue give up “Lingayatism”.
But the following day, pontiffs of at least 50 Veerashaiva-Lingayat mutts including the influential Pancha Peetas (believed to be an offshoot of Shaiva sect) and also the Virakta Mutts (followers of Basavanna) held a convention, and rephrased their demand—to scale up the existing reservation of five per cent (under 3B category) to at least 12-15 per cent, under 2 A category.
The Veerashaiva-Lingayat pontiffs, who met Siddaramaiah on Wednesday, also argued that a section of the community (Lingayats) could not be granted the religion status under the Indian Constitution. They also asserted that Veerashaiva-Lingatyats were Hindus and need not be granted a separate religion status. The development seems to have brought the much needed respite to the BJP, which had maintained a guarded silence over the issue fearing a backlash from the community for taking sides, more so because a united Lingayat community works in favour of the saffron party in the elections.
The Veerashaiva-Lingayat seers re-endorsed the Akhila Bharata Veerashaiva Mahasabha’s stand that Veerashaivas and Lingayats are one and the same. Recently, a section of Lingayat mutts, with support from Congress ministers and JD(S) MLC Basavaraj Horatti had convened a meeting and resolved to rename the Veerashaiva Mahasabha as All India “Lingayat” Mahasabha and decided to seek an independent religion tag for all “Lingayats” and shunned the use of Veershaiva, alleging it would be read as an offshoot of Hindusim.
The Veerashaivas convention also urged the government to set up free hostel facilities in every taluk and district for economically backward Veerashaiva-Lingayat students and also to provide merit scholarships and coaching for civil service exams.
