Did the Union government, which has said that it ‘may not be possible’ to accede to the recommendation of the State government to accord religious minority status to Lingayats and Veerashaiva Lingayats (Believers of Basava Tatva), seek the opinion of the National Commission for Minorities (NCM)?
At least not specifically the proposal sent by the Karnataka government on March 23, 2018. NCM Chairman Syed Ghayorul Hazan Rizvi, who had stated so at the Lingayat convention being held in New Delhi, reiterated it to The Hindu on Tuesday.
Speaking at the inaugural session of the three-day Lingayat convention in New Delhi on Monday, Mr. Rizvi had said that NCM had not received the latest proposal and it would give its opinion once it was referred to it. However, he said later that there was no point discussing the issue now, as the Centre had rejected it.
When contacted by this correspondent on Tuesday, Mr. Rizvi reiterated, “The proposal did not come to us. It had gone to the Union government and it has already rejected the proposal. So there is no point in reacting to the issue now.”
In the letter submitted to the High Court of Karnataka, the MMA Deputy Secretary had mentioned that NCM had agreed with the views of MHA vide letter dated 14.11.2013 of Registrar General of India, thus indicating that NCM’s opinion pertained to an earlier proposal, which was subsequently rejected by the Registrar General of India.
Now, members of Jagatika Lingayata Mahasabha feel that the rejection has come without a proper study and assessment of the documents that were submitted by the State government in its latest proposal.
“After the rejection in 2013 by Registrar General of India, an expert committee was formed by the Karnataka Minorities Commission and subsequently the Karnataka government made the recommendation. But it seems the decision has been taken ignoring all these developments and documentary evidence,” said Channabasava Swami, who is coordinating the Lingayat convention.
Protest today
The Lingayat rally which was scheduled to be taken out in New Delhi will now be converted into a protest march in the wake of the Centre’s decision. Sri Channabasava Swami told The Hindu that requisite permissions had been taken for the protest march from concerned authorities.
