Bengaluru: The fortnight socio-economic survey taken up by the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government has left the powerful Lingayat community vertically divided over whether to register themselves as Hindus or not.
Even the seers of Mutts are divided over the issue, as much as Congress and BJP leaders. While the Federation of Lingayat Mutt Seers and Global Lingayat Mahasabha have called for registering the religion as `Others' and register the caste as `Lingayat', the seers of Panchamashali sectors have urged the Lingayats to register themselves under Hindu religion and caste as Lingayats.
While the social organisations like Veerashaiva Mahasabha and Raddi Lingayat associations have called to register themselves as `Others' in religion column and Lingayat in the caste column, Panchamashali Lingayat association has called for registering themselves under Hindu religion.It is the same on political lines also. While the BJP wants the Lingayats to register themselves under Hindu religion, the Congress leaders urge that the Lingayats should register themselves under `Others' in the religion column.
The Lingayats have been demanding separate religious status for some time now. Since they are the largest and powerful community in Karnataka, even the poorest of the community are not eligible for any government facility. The Lingayats are trying to get minority religious status by getting declared as a separate religion. This would hit BJP hard, while the Congress will be benefitted. With the present divide among Lingayats, Siddaramaiah has achieved what he wanted. Divide among the largest community and uniting other communities against them..
The differences among the Lingayats has created a rift among the political leaders of various political parties. While Congress Lingayat leader Eshwar Khandre, who is the President of Veerashaiva Mahasabha is advocating registering as `others' in the religion column, former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa and BJP State President B Y Vijayendra are advocating their community people to register themselves as Hindus under religion column.
Large and Medium Industries Minister M B Patil said that Yeddyurappa and Vijayendra want to please their BJP political bosses and are sacrificing the interests of Lingayat community. ``When the decision was taken at Veerashaiva Mahasabha in front of all the seers, Yeddyurappa and Vijayendra were silent. Besides, Vijayandra's daughter is the women wing president of the Veerashaiva Mahasabha. They did not oppose the resolution there and after coming out of the meeting, they are speaking against the resolution,'' Patil said.
However, Vijayendra defended his stand saying that it was neither a BJP party decision, nor he was trying to please anyone. ``It was a decision of Veerashaiva Mahasabha and the seers of mutts are yet to take a call. We will wait for that,'' he added.
Former BJP Minister Murugesh Nirani has said that it was not a socio-economic survey, but a deliberate attempt by Siddaramaiah and Congress to divide the Lingayats. Since there is no name of Lingayat in the religion col;umn and we are living in Hindustan, we should register as Hindu in the religion column.
Meanwhile, Karnataka Legislative Council Chairman Basavaraj Horatti has said that the government's socio-economic caste survey was a big blow for the harmony of the society. ``If anything happens to the country or the state, it will be because of such surveys. It is better to keep a smaller number of sub-communities. First of all, no one needed it and the government has started this disaster. It is not for the good of future generation,'' he added.
