MYSURU: Writer Chandrashekar Patil on Sunday reiterated that Siddaganga seer Shivakumara and Suttur seer Shivaratri Deshikendra should make their stand clear on the demand for separate community status to Lingayats. Patil, known as Champa, was addressing the gathering during a talk on ‘Lingayat- One Independent Religion’ organised by Lingayat Cultural Committee at Nataraja Women’s College in the city. Champa said: “It was not right on the part of the seers to keep mum.
They may have taken the sides of communal forces either due to external or internal pressure. However, they should break their silence and extend support to the ongoing struggle conforming with principles of 12th century revolutionary Basavanna.” Mincing no words, Champa told seers of Panchapeeth to take part in the movement instead of distancing themselves from the same. All mutts irrespective of virakta and others should come together for the cause, he added.
Tracing the genesis of Lingayats, Champa said: “It was due to the conspiracy hatched by Brahminical forces, ‘Lingayat’ is camoufl aged by ‘Veerashaiva’. It’s evident that, it is not a part of Hindu religion as it was founded as a separate religion that later grew into a bigger community. However, attempts are being made in the 21st century to trace roots of the religion that originated in 12th century. While it is a welcome sign, as the same religion is set to acquire a new dimension, one cannot also deny that it will be the posit for a bigger political development in the future, casting its spell on social, religious and economic developments,” he said.
Former bureaucrat Shivanand M Jamdar, also the convener of Lingayat Swatantra Dharma Vedike, likened the word ‘Veerashaiva’ with a disease that originated in Mysuru and pervaded North Karnataka and Hyderabad Karnataka regions like an epidemic. Some mutts in Mysuru region are yet to come out of the effect as they still use the word ‘Veerashaiva’ in their parlance. Substantiating, Jamdar quoted a population census report of princely Mysuru state when Lingayats were listed as ‘Shudras’. Prior to that Lingayat was a separate religion till 1881.
No sooner the census report was out, many books and also journals were published only to create a negative publicity on Lingayat. The life and times of revolutionary Basavanna considered as the founder of separate religion, were also portrayed in bad light,” he underlined. Former professor in philosophy N G Mahadevappa questioned the argument that Lingayats were Hindus.
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