Karnataka: Hindu geographical identity, says seer

BELAGAVI: At a time when there is controversy over the origin of the word ‘Hindu’ in the state and country, following the statement of Congress state working president Satish Jarkiholi, the seer of Tontadarya Sansthan Mutt, Gadag-Dambal, has given a different definition to the word.
On Wednesday, Tontada Siddaram Swamiji said that Hindu isn’t a word that reflects a religion, but designates a geographical area. All those living to the south of the Sindhu river were called Hindus, and they all are Indians.
The seer said, “Hindu is not a religion, but a way of life. Some are referencing Hindu as a Vedic religion. In such a scenario, Lingayats are not Hindus, because Lingayat is a separate religion. There are lot of differences between the culture and traditions followed by Hindus and Lingayats,” the seer said.
“Hindus worship gods in temples and in the form of idols, while Lingayats worship the Istalinga on their chest. Hindus follow spiritual books like Vedas, Agama Shastra and Puranas, but the Lingayat religion took birth to oppose these. Lingayat is another religion, like Jainism, Buddhism, and Christianity.”
“If we use the word Hindu as a geographical designation, we all are Hindus and Indians, irrespective of religion. But if we take the Persian word ‘Hindu’, then it becomes a matter of controversy, as it doesn’t cover other religions, including Lingayats,” he stated.
The seer said the fight demanding a separate religion status for Lingayats has not stopped. “There are many documents to prove it even in court. There are over 108 sub-castes among Lingayats, and some are fighting for reservation. Let the reservation issue be settled. Later, we will take up the religion issue,” he said.