BENGALURU: Karnataka Large and Medium Industries Minister MB Patil said on Tuesday that the Veerashaiva-Lingayat faith is fundamentally a casteless religion, but over the years, the community has become fragmented along sub-caste lines.
Speaking at the inaugural session as Chairman of the Reception Committee of the two-day 14th Sharana Sahitya Sammelana, which started in Bengaluru, the senior Lingayat leader said the community members must introspect on the growing divide.
The Lingayat faith has always faced opposition from within the community itself, and as a result, the philosophy of the Basavadi Sharanas and the Lingayat faith could not spread beyond Karnataka as it should have, he said. “All Indians are Hindus. Jainism, Sikhism and Buddhism, all of which originated in India, are recognised as separate religions. Likewise, granting separate recognition to the Lingayat faith would pose no threat to Hinduism,” Patil said and expressed disappointment that some members of the community themselves were opposing the demand.
He said during the census, many Lingayats identify themselves under sub-caste categories and the recorded Lingayat population in Karnataka has declined from around 17-18% to nearly 11%.
Separate religion status
Presiding over the sammelana, Go. Ru. Channabasappa urged the Union Government to grant the Lingayat faith statutory recognition as a minority religion. He also called for the inclusion of Vachanas in the curriculum across the education system and urged the government to establish the long-promised Vachana University without further delay.
Sri Shivarathri Deshikendra Swamiji of Sutturu Mutt, Mysuru and Sri Siddalinga Swamiji of Siddaganga Mutt also addressed the gathering.