Billava leaders, including Sri Pranavananda Swami of Brahmashree Narayana Guru Shakti Peetha and R. Padmaraj, Treasurer of Kuroli Sri Gokarnanatha Kshetra, on Sunday termed the Government Order forming Narayana Guru Kosha (Corpus Fund) a gimmick and reiterated the proposed padayatra from Mangaluru to Bengaluru from January 6 demanding an exclusive corporation for the community will be organised as scheduled.
Sri Pranavananda Swami told reporters here the 658-km padayatra from Mangaluru to Bengaluru via Udupi, Hosanagara, Tirthahalli, Sagara, Shivamogga, Shikaripura, Channagiri, Davangere, Chitradurga and Tumakuru, was to demand an exclusive development corporation or board for the community comprising 26 sub-sects of Billava-Ediga. Community strongman B. Janardhana Poojari would flag off the padayatra at the Kudroli Kshetra for which senior politicians of the community from Karnataka and neighbouring states would be invited.
The Swami said committees were formed for the smooth organisation of the padayatra. Community members would be organised at every taluk level while different organisations of Billava-Ediga communities would come together for the padayatra.
Nothing less than a corporation
Tearing a copy of the Government Order, he said the community wants nothing less than an independent board or corporation for its welfare. The order forming the fund was an insult to the community, he said and added that the community was not seeking any alms.
The government should form an independent corporation or board with a corpus of ₹500 crore, permission to carry out community avocation of toddy tapping and selling and not to disturb Billavas’ reservation while including other castes in 2A were his major demands.
Meanwhile, Mr. Padmaraj said the Corpus Fund was only for namesake and would not help the development of the community. Though senior officials would head the Fund, they would have to get approval for everything from the government. Followers of the Guru have woken up now, Mr. Padmaraj said and told the government not to indulge in poll gimmicks.
