Bengaluru: Voices pressurising to announce ‘Lingayat’ as a separate religion and arguments against its misconceptions were heard in the Global level Mahasabha Meet here on September 16.
President of the Mahasabha S M Jamdar said, “When we began fighting for the Lingayat religion, we were portrayed as ‘Anti-Nationals’ and ‘Anti-Hindus’. We are not against any religion. The demand for a separate Lingayat religion began in 1920 and has continued till 2017.”
“The fight will begin for the third time. The request has been squashed time and again. Some even tried to divide us and this is for political gains. We do not nurture political aspirations, but it is purely religion based demand. We want to send out a strong message to all those trying to divide us, ” he added.
Doubts on the Central move:
“Even though the state had sent a letter regarding the separate Lingayat religion, the center is not accepting it because the centre wants to play vote bank politics. The Hindutva organizations are creating plots so that Lingayat religion doesnot come into existence. They are afraid of the disclosure of loopholes of the Hindu religion,” said Naganur Rudrakshi Mutt Siddrama Swamiji of Belagavi.
There is no such religion as Veerashaiva and Hindu:
“Veerashaiva is not a religion but a belief system. It has inculcated principles of the Hindu and the Lingayat religion partially. ‘Hindu’ is not a religion but just a geographically denoted word. The British had named it according to the geography, but as times passed by it has become a religion because of the ritual performed by the pandits”, said Siddarama Swamiji.
He also said that the concept of oneness must be inculcated among the seers too.
A letter and a website regarding the question and answer on the topic, “Is Lingayat protest anti-Hindu or anti-national” was released.
