Karnataka Lingayat religion row: Congress' decision a blow for BJP? updates

Our fight is not new, it has been a 900-year-old battle and it has taken a shape now: Lingayat seers

Hours after the Karnataka government gave its approval for a separate religion status to the Lingayat community, a clash broke out between Lingayat followers and Veerashaiva followers in Kalaburagi on Monday.

The clash broke out when the Lingayat followers were celebrating the government's decision while Veerashaiva followers were protesting against it.

Ahead of the state assembly elections, the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah-led Karnataka Government earlier today accepted the suggestions of Nagamohan Das committee to form a separate religion status for the Lingayats community.

The suggestion which has been accepted under section 2D of the state Minorities Commission Act will now be sent to the Centre for the final approval.

A seven-member Nagamohan Das committee headed by retired high court Judge H N Nagamohan Das submitted its report on March 2, 2018, stating that "Lingayats in Karnataka may be considered as a religious minority."

Meanwhile, the Veerashaiva Lingayat Samanvaya Samiti opposed Karnataka government's decision of granting a separate religion status for the Lingayats community and termed it a politically motivated move.

Here's what you must know

1. Clashes break out between Lingayat and Veerashaiva followers

Clashes broke out between Lingayat followers and Veerashaiva followers in Kalaburagi. Lingayat followers had come to celebrate state cabinet's approval for recommendation of separate religion for Lingayat community, Veerashaiva followers had come to protest against the same.

Karnataka: Clashes broke out b/w #Lingayat followers & Veerashaiva followers in Kalaburagi. Lingayat followers had come to celebrate state cabinet's approval for recommendation of separate religion for Lingayat community, Veerashaiva followers had come to protest against the same pic.twitter.com/Ds5rneqQxU

— ANI (@ANI) March 19, 2018

2. BJP says Siddaramaiah playing with fire

The BJP today slammed the Karnataka government for its decision to recommend separate religion status for Lingayats, accusing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah of "playing with fire for vote back politics".

Party general secretary in-charge of Karnataka P Muralidhar Rao accused the state's ruling Congress of practising a "divide and rule" policy.

"Congress carrying 'Divide and Rule' legacy of Britishers in India. Siddaramaiah ji is playing with fire for vote bank politics. Why has Congress done this before elections? Why haven't they done it 4 years back?" he said in a tweet.

A group of Lingayat seers on Monday met Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and urged him to implement the report of an official committee that recommended conferring a separate religious and minority status to their community. The seers, led by Gadag-based Tontadarya Mutt's Siddalinga Swami, called on Siddaramaiah at his official residence here and wanted him to consider and implement the Nagmohan Das Committee's report which has said "Lingayats in Karnataka may be considered as religious minority."

Members of #Lingayat community celebrating in Kalaburagi after Karnataka Govt accepted suggestions of Nagamohan Das committee which asked for separate religion for the community pic.twitter.com/KpnFji0Bjh

— ANI (@ANI) March 19, 2018

3. Lingayat's 900-year-old fight

"Our fight is not new, it has been a 900-year-old fight and it has taken a shape now. The Chief Minister should implement the report and accord separate status to Lingayat community, the Tontadarya math swamiji told reporters.

4. Yedyurappa claims the Lingayats and Veerashaivas are one 

Senior BJP leader BS Yedyurappa, former chief minister of Karnataka and a Lingayat who came to power on the back of this vote bank in 2008, is opposed to the separation between these two communities. Having publicly participated in Vedic rituals and being an upholder of his party's aggressive Hindutva line, Yedyurappa claims the Lingayats and Veerashaivas are one and the same community, both of which belong to Hinduism. 

5.One section led by Akhila Bharata Veerashaiva Mahasabha has demanded separate religion status, asserting that Veerashaiva and Lingayats are the same,the other wants it only for Lingayats as it believes that Veerashaivasare one among the seven sects of Shaivas, which is part ofHinduism.

6. The BJP and several sections of the Hindu community have maintained a cautious stance, keeping away from the move to give Veerashaiva/Lingayat separate religion status. They have accused the Siddaramaiah government of dividing society to draw political mileage ahead of the assembly elections. Lingayat strongman and state BJP chief B S Yeddyurappa has been saying that his party would not allow efforts to "divide" the community.

Bengaluru: People belongs to Veershaiva Community protesting against the Separate Lingayat religion, which was approved by Karnataka Government in Kalburgi. Photo: PTI

 

7. Karnataka govt expedited the deliberations over minority religion status to Lingayats in July 2017

The Karnataka State Minorities Commission (KSMC), to which the State government had referred the Lingayat issue a week ago, has formed a seven-member committee, led by retired high court judge H.N. Nagamohan Das, to look into the issue and submit a report.

8. On 18 July, more than 50,000 Lingayats gathered at a rally in Bidar, asking to be recognised as followers of a religion distinct from Hinduism. While there are conflicting theological justifications for this demand, should it come to pass, it would throw the political equations in the state into serious disarray.

9. Who are the Lingayats?

The Lingayats are the worshippers of Lord Shiva who have distanced themselves from traditional Hinduism, especially from the Vedic version of it and the caste system. Ironically, in spite of its origin among the followers of 12th-century social reformer Basavanna, the Lingayat community is now recognised as a caste.

10. Karnataka election significance

Living mostly in North Karnataka, the Lingayats are believed to constitute 17% of the population.

Mohandas Pai call Congress communal

IT veteran and tech investor T V Mohandas Pai condemned Congress government's decision. He said, "A very communal decision by the ‘Secular’ Congress govt. Big Shame, is this what Congress politics is all about? Breaking up the Hindu community because they are peaceful and quiet?  This will consolidate Hindu votes against Congress."