Lingayat faith an old one! Karnataka CM rubbishes BJP's divide & rule claim

Living mostly in North Karnataka, Lingayats constitute 17% of state population. Since their vote is seen as decisive in 110 of the 224 Assembly seats, Lingayats are considered politically powerful

Rubbishing the claims that the decision to grant a separate religious status to the Lingayat community was Congress’ political agenda, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday reiterated that the “Lingayat faith as a religion is an old one”. The clarification came after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), in the Opposition camp in the state, accused the Congress of striving to garner the votes of Lingayats, a dominant community in the state, ahead of the Assembly elections likely in April-May.

“The demand to recognise the Lingayat faith as a religion is an old one. What the government has done is the recognition of the fact acknowledged as far back as the Mysore Census of 1871. Those in BJP accusing us of dividing religion better listen to the Lingayat-Veerashaiva community,” tweeted Siddaramaiah today. 

The Congress’ suggestion of granting a separate religious status to the Lingayat minority community has been sent to the Centre for its approval. The suggestion has been accepted under section 2D of the state Minorities Commission Act.
 

The Congress even dared BJP President Amit Shah and the party’s Karnataka chief ministerial candidate B S Yeddyuruppa to clarify their position on Lingayats. "It is inappropriate to link the decision of the Karnataka government vis-a-vis declaration of Lingayat Samaj as a minority community to the political processes," said Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala.

Hours after the Karnataka government accepted the suggestions of the Nagamohan Das committee yesterday to form a separate religion status for the Lingayat community, clashes broke out between the followers of Lingayat and Veerashaiva communities in Kalaburagi – when the former were celebrating the decision and the latter protesting the same. 

What is Lingayat religion? 

The Lingayats, who belong to the Other Backward Classes in Karnataka, are the worshippers of Lord Shiva and 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 the 12th-century social reformer Basavanna, the Lingayat community is now recognised as a caste.

Living mostly in North Karnataka, the Lingayats are believed to constitute 17 per cent of the population. Since their vote is widely acknowledged to be decisive in 110 of the 224 Assembly constituencies, Lingayats are considered politically powerful. 

Here are the top 10 updates on the Lingayat community getting a separate religious status: 

1. Congress rubbishes ‘vote bank politics’ claim: The Congress party said the Karnataka government had followed the due process before taking the decision.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah tweeted:

Referring to the Jain community, which was recognised as a religious minority a few years earlier, Randeep Singh Surjewala said Lingayats should also be accorded such a status. He said the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government of the day had got the demand of the community examined and due process was followed by the Siddaramaiah dispensation. After examining historical and other evidences, the UPA government had also come to a conclusion that the Jain community was a religious minority, despite objections from the Agrawal community, which said they were part of their clan.

"The government in its wisdom in adherence to the demand of the community and based on the facts has decided to include the Lingayat Samaj as part of the minority community so that the benefits that extend to the minority community can also be extended to them," he added.

2. Cabinet to give official notification next week: The state Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, has decided to forward the Commission's recommendations to the central government for approval and notification under the National Commission for Minorities Act. 

The Cabinet will issue an official notification on the Lingayat religious status at its next meeting, possibly next week, reported the Times of India. 3. Don’t hunt with the hare, Congress tells BJP: Congress asked Amit Shah and B S Yeddyurappa to clarify whether they were in favour of the decision or against it. "You need to clarify and come out clearly. Do not hunt with the hare. That is why we have clearly said the sinister propaganda of BJP on this issue is condemnable. For, they do not want to speak for the fear of annoying vote bank, yet they are opposing the demand of the Lingayat samaj,” Surjewala said.

4. Congress carrying ‘divide and rule’ policy: Accusing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah of "playing with fire for vote-bank politics", BJP had slammed the Karnataka government for its decision to recommend a separate religion status for Lingayats

Party general secretary in-charge of Karnataka P Muralidhar Rao had 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 did they not do this four years earlier?" he said in a tweet.

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

5. Why is BJP miffed? Lingayats have traditionally supported the BJP as B S Yeddyurappa is known to be the community’s most popular political face. The BJP is traditionally believed to be driven by Hinduvta ideology, one that aims to unite the Hindu community. Therefore, a demand for a separate religious identity for any group would be antithetical to it, according to Scroll.

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

6. What does separate religious status mean for Lingayats? On July 18, more than 50,000 Lingayats gathered at a rally in Bidar, asking to be recognised as followers of a religion distinct from Hinduism. 

The seers, led by Gadag-based Tontadarya Mutt's Siddalinga Swami, called on Siddaramaiah at his official residence in Bengaluru and wanted him to consider and implement the Nagmohan Das Committee's report, which said "Lingayats in Karnataka may be considered as a religious minority."

The Lingayats want a constitutional status on a par with the Buddhists, who enjoy reservation despite being outside the Hindu group. Article 30 of the Indian Constitution grants the minorities, whether religious or linguistic, the right to establish and administer their own educational institutions. 

"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 swami said, according to news agency PTI. 


7. Why are Veerashaiva followers opposing the move? Clashes broke out between Lingayat followers and Veerashaiva followers in Kalaburagi. Lingayat followers had come to celebrate state Cabinet's approval to the recommendation for a separate religion status to be accorded to the Lingayat community and Veerashaiva followers had come to protest against the same.

The Veerashaivas are a sub-sect of the Lingayats and also worship Lord Shiva. They protested against granting a religious minority status to Lingayats alone. To pacify this, the Cabinet decided to grant a minority status to Veerashaiva and include Veerashaiva-Lingayats as a group within the Lingayat community.

“The Cabinet decided to grant minority status to Veerashaivas, who consider Basavanna dharma guru (religious head), believe in vachanas (verses) as sacred text and wear Ishta Linga (symbolic representation of a formless god). They will also be considered Lingayats,” law minister T B Jayachandra said, according to a Times of India report. 

Lingayats, however, said Veerashaivas follow the Vedas and the caste system, which is opposed by Basavanna. In accepting the demand of the Lingayats, the Karnataka government made it clear that the Veerashaivas are part of the Lingayat community.


8. The legation implications of the religious status grant: 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."

"Based on the recommendations of Karnataka State Minorities Commission, the state Cabinet has unanimously decided to grant status of religious minority to Lingayats and Veerashaiva Lingayats (believers of the 12th-century social reformer Basavanna's ideologies)," state Law Minister T B Jayachandra said, according to news agency PTI.

"The minority status has been granted on the Commission's view that a proper recognition is to be given to the Lingayats and Veerashaiva Lingayats, on the condition that the recognition would not affect the rights of other minorities in the state," Jayachandra said after the Cabinet meeting.

9. Yedyurappa claims the Lingayats and Veerashaivas are one: B S Yedyurappa, who came to power on the back of this vote bank in 2008, opposed the separation of 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. 

One section led by Akhila Bharata Veerashaiva Mahasabha has demanded a 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 of Hinduism.

10. Mohandas Pai calls Congress communal: IT veteran and tech investor T V Mohandas Pai condemned the Congress government's decision. He said, "A very communal decision by the ‘Secular’ Congress govt. A 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."