BENGALURU: The Veerashaiva Mahasabha will try to claim reservation set aside for the economically weaker sections (EWS). The argument is that the main beneficiary of the 10 per cent reservation will be upper castes. In Karnataka, there is a question mark over who will enjoy this benefit as Brahmins constitute a mere 3 per cent.
The All-India Veerashaiva Mahasabha that will be held for three days from December 24 is expected to discuss this issue. It will figure in two of the nine subjects that will be up for discussion, said Mahasabha Secretary Renuka Prasanna. One group of Lingayats is aiming for this quota, while Panchamasali Lingayats are protesting for backward 2-A status. The deadline for giving the 2A reservation, set by Jaya Mrutyunjaya Swamiji is December 19.
If the government allows the reservation under 2A, the entire Lingayat community will benefit as there are no official documents to identify Panchamsalis and other Lingayat sub-castes separately, Prasanna said.
Political analyst BS Murthy said, “There is no bandwidth in the reservation matrix to accommodate 17 per cent in the backward 2 A reservation.
EWS reservation is an opportunity for the community. That this option will be explored just five days after the expiry of the deadline is interesting.’’The Mahasabha meeting will also present the claim that Veerashaivas are a separate religion and will seek minority status. The issue was first raised in 1940 at the All-India meet in Kumbakonam, sources associated with the Mahasabha said.
The Mahasabha will be attended by Lingayats from other states too and around 3,000 delegates will arrive from Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Around 1,200 registrations have been received from other states, sources said.