Differences seem to be cropping up among the Council of Ministers in the State government over the demand for a separate religion tag for Lingayats, a demand that the government has promised to forward to the Centre if there is a consensus in the community.
While some want the status to be accorded to “Veerashaiva/Lingayat” community others want it for the “Lingayat” community.
Two Ministers, M.B. Patil and Vinay Kulkarni, have been advocating the tag only for Lingayats, while Medical Education Minister Sharan Prakash Patil, Minister of State for Municipal Administration Eshwar Khandre and Horticulture Minister S.S. Mallikarjun, backed by the Akhila Bharatha Veerashaiva Mahasabha, are not in favour of the bifurcation of the community.
Meanwhile, Higher Education Minister Basavaraja Rayareddy has gone silent on the issue.
‘Evolve consensus’
“The mahasabha should set right the misconceptions and take Veerashaiva seers and Lingayat seers into confidence to evolve a consensus on the matter of a separate religion status for Lingayats,” Mr Patil suggested.
Meanwhile, even as the stage is being set for talks among the religious heads of various Lingayat mutts, scholars and political leaders, ground developments indicate more of polarisation rather than moving towards consensus.
Secret meetings
According to sources, there have been secret meetings on creating a parallel organisation to the Akhila Bharata Veerashaiva Mahasabha, if the group fails to take into account the views of the majority in the community.
The outfit, which resolved recently that it would support the dual nomenclature of Veerashaiva/Lingayata, has also resolved to hold a meeting of the seers, scholars and other stakeholders to arrive at a consensus on the issue.
This is even as Mr. Patil and Mr. Kulkarni who are for “Lingayata Dharma” nomenclature have visited religious heads to invite them for a meeting in Bengaluru on August 10.
Seminar today
A seminar has been organised at Jnanajyothi Auditorium in Bengaluru on Thursday to mobilise opinion for separate religion status for Lingayats/Veerashaiva.
Backed by M.B. Patil and Vinay Kulkarni, seers from 20 mutts, including Tontadarya Mutt’s Siddhalinga Swami, Suttur Mutt’s Shivaratri Rajendra Swami, Sirigere Mutt’s Taralabalu Shivakumara Swami, experts, scholars, activists will take part in the seminar.
