By sending the controversial proposal to the Central Government to give minority status to Lingayats, the Karnataka Government wants to play safe by fixing the blame on the Modi Government irrespective of any outcome. If it gets approval, the Siddaramaiah Government takes the credit and if it does not, then curses the centre for not approving the proposal. This ‘hitting two birds with one stone” approach by the Congress may backfire as Hindu voters who used to vote for the Congress may switch sides and choose BJP en mass. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah recently announced that the fight for the next elections would be on the plank of “secularism versus communalism’. Now, people in Karnataka are asking Siddaramaiah as to why he is becoming a communal leader. The Karnataka CM who considers himself to be a champion of OBCs, has literally “divided and ruled” one of the Karnataka”s dominant caste – The Lingayats. He along with his ministerial colleagues has created a rift among one of the most respected communities in the state.
On March 19, 2018, Siddaramaiah-led cabinet took a decision to recommend to the Centre to allocate minority tag to Lingayats. This is nothing but a clear ploy by the CM to divide the Hindus. Sources said that CM Siddaramaiah who believes in becoming CM for the next time either by hook or by crook was scared at the growing popularity of BJP among the Lingayats. The BJP’s Chief Ministerial candidate BS Yeddyurappa is known as the Lingayat strongman of Karnataka. As Siddaramaiah was scared to take on BSY, he decided to take the backdoor entry by dividing the Lingayats.
However, he has been facing severe criticism from his own party men for the move. Senior Congress leader and former minister Shamanur Shivashankarappa has openly criticised the CM”s move. The CM”s cabinet colleagues SS Mallikarjun and Eshwar Khandre have threatened to quit over the issue. There has been even an intelligence alert to the CM against dividing the community but the CM who is determined to divide the BJP votes, went ahead and has successfully divided the community. He has also tried to tarnish the Centre by saying that he has done his job and now it was for the Centre to approve.
However, his move has been severely criticised by the Lingayat community members. The moment cabinet decision was announced, there was clashes in Karnataka”s northern city of Kalaburgi where one person reportedly died. There has also been a severe backlash in the online community. The netizens questioned the veracity of the Justice Nagamohandas report (the committee which had recommended the minority tag to the government) as the committee was headed by left-oriented people and mainly people from other castes.
Unethical Move
Dakshina Madhya Kshetreeya Sanghachalak Sri V Nagaraj in a press conference had said that RSS has always stood for a united society. However, any decision on issues related to Lingayat religion should be taken by respective Swamijis and Heads of those traditions and Mathas. No government or political party should have a role in it, he stressed. He further said that Hinduism is a way of life which encompasses various traditions and ways of worship. Everyone who follows the traditions of this land is a Hindu, he said.
It is to be noted that Swamijis and Sants of various traditions from all over the country, including swamijis of many Lingayat and Veerashaiva Mathas, had participated in the recent Dharma Sansad in Udupi organised by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and had given a call for uniting the Hindu society. In one of its major resolutions, the Dharma Sansad had called for the removal of religious discrimination.
Lingayat Controversy
Former Chief Minister and State BJP President said “We have taken a stand that the BJP will stand by the decision taken by the Akhil Bharata Veerashaiva Mahasabha. Now that state government has sent its recommendations, I urge Akhil Bharata Veerashaiva Mahasabha to study the same and guide the society”.
The party Spokespersons said that Veerashaivas and Lingayats have been one entity but the Congress has been trying to divide the society. Though the committee had sought six months to decide, the state government pressurised them to submit the report in 2 months. They reiterated that the BJP stands for a united society consisting of Veerashaiva and Lingayats as both are the same.
Shri Veerasomeshwara Shivacharya Swamiji of Rambhapuri Matha in Karnataka has opposed the government’s move to recognise Lingayat as a separate religion. He said that few people with selfish motives have attempted to divide the society. Such politically motivated move will be opposed by all Veerashaiva Mathas and they will fight against it in all possible ways
including legally.
Lingayat is not a religion and ‘Ishta Linga’ Pooja is only a way of worship or practice. This alone cannot be taken as a guide to recognise a religion. Both Lingayat and Veershaiva are one and the same, he said.
(with inputs from Bengaluru Bureau)
Prominent Voices who spoke on the Lingayat religion Issue
“We are having a Government under the Constitution of India, a secular Government. No political party, no Government has any business to interfere in the internal affairs of any community,” Santosh Hegde wrote in a scathing write-up, which went viral on social media.
—Santosh Hegde, Former Lokayukta of Karnataka
“BY dividing a religion, the CM is playing the politics of breaking the society for votes. Neither the public nor the elected representatives know what is there in the report. Such sensitive religious matter should have been discussed with elders of the society, swamijis before recommending the same.”
—HD Kumaraswamy, State President of JD(S) and Former CM of Karnataka,
“The Karnataka Government’s move to recommend a separate religion is condemnable. It is indeed ironic that a Government itself has recommended granting of minority status to a community. The Supreme Court itself had ruled that those who revere the Vedas are Hindus.”
—M Chidananada Murthy, Senior Researcher and author
“This decision by the government led by Siddaramaiah has given a logical end to the struggle. This was not a new demand. It has a history of 900 years which has been a pro-people movement. The recommendation is a good development which has given recognition to the teachings of Basavanna. I thank CM Siddaramaiah. Veerashiavas are not our enemy but we have our ideological differences”
—Dr Shivamurthy Murugha Sharana Swamiji,
Murugharajendra Matha, Chitradurga
