Parties make beelineformutts

K’TAKA POLLS Leaders from across party lines have been visiting the state’s influential monasteries to reap electoral dividends

With elections around the corner, the influential mutts (monasteries) in Karnataka have become centres of hectic political activity.

While Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah visited five mutts during his recent tour of the state, Congress president Rahul Gandhi also met pontiffs during his poll visit last week. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rallies in the state invariably include references to the mutts.

Historians and political analysts ascribe the political importance of the mutts to the enormous influence they wield over the constituencies where they are located. With the state set for polling on May 12, the three major political parties are likely to lobby with some of these institutions, as their backing provides legitimacy to the candidates.

In this context, the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government’s decision last week to notify Lingayats and Veerashaiva-Lingayats (those who follow the teachings of 12th century philosopher Basaveshwara) is expected to yield political dividends, as the sect, which makes up roughly 17% (chk pl) of the state’s population, could have a say in who comes to power in the state.

The Lingayat mutts, according to Aya Ikegame of the University of Tokyo, who has researched extensively on the role of mutts and pontiffs in Karnataka’s politics, have history on their side. Most mutts are specific to certain castes, with some even having separate branches to cater to different castes and sub-castes.

Explaining the influence of Lingayat and Brahmin mutts in the state, Ikegame said these maths’ influence is a product of their centuries-long existence. “Only Brahmins and Lingayats/ Veerashaivas have maintained these institution for centuries. Not other castes,” she said.

However, given their small numbers in the state, the influence of Brahmin mutts is limited when compared to the Lingayats.

“The Adichunchanagiri is a relatively new mutt (about 100 years old) but they are practically the only Volkkaliga mutt in the state,” she said.

According to political analysts, the reasons behind this influence were the various outreach programmes of the mutts. “The Lingayat mutts, especially, enjoy support because of the educational institutions they run, among other things,” said Narendar Pani, faculty at the National Institute of Advanced Studies.

Shivamurthy Murugha Swamy, the pontiff of the Murugha mutt, said about 30,000 students were currently enrolled in the educational institutions run by the monastery.

According to the Siddalinga Swamy, the junior pontiff of the Siddaganga mutt, around 40,000 students were studying in the various institutions run by them.

However, influence and legitimacy do not flow in one direction. Harish Ramaswamy, political science faculty at the Karnatak University Dharwad, said According to a mutt official, around 200 educational institutions are affiliated to it. “Around 80,000 students study in these institutions,” the official said. Although the seer has not openly expressed his views on current politics, the official said, the pontiff was more closer to the BJP.

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The mutt runs around 170 educational institutes. Although, BJP president Amit Shah met the pontiff on Tuesday, the seer has not been forthcoming on his stance. The swamy is said to be a covert supporter of the Congress, according to political analyst Narendar Pani. Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, who recently visited the math, highlighted his family’s association with the mutt.

the pontiff of the Moorusavir mutt in Dharwad had to abdicate for a brief period after a political battle broke out over choosing his successor. Two political leaders were said to have canvassed for different candidates, which forced the seer to step down.

There was unanimity among Known as the “walking god”, the 110-year-old pontiff is a highly influential figure in the state. The junior pontiff of the mutt has recently expressed approval of the state govt’s move to recognise Lingayats and Veerashaiva-Lingayats as a religious minority. The pontiff has been a vocal supporter of the separate religion status for the Lingayats. After The seer is known to be close to the BJP and has been one of those calling for the construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya. However, he fell fowl of the former Sri Rama Sene chief Pramod Muthalik after he held an iftar on mutt premises

political scientists and even the seers that the spheres of influence of the mutts were limited to the regions where they were located.

However, Ramaswamy said, “There is definitely a lot of prestige attached to the backing of some of the big mutts, like Siddaganga or Suttur or Tontadarya,

meeting Bharatiya Janata Party chief Amit Shah on Tuesday, the seer handed over a memorandum asking the Centre to recognise the sect as aminority. “Wait and watch for our strategy in the upcoming state elections” the seer said. The Vokkaliga seer has been the source of much speculation after both BJP president Amit Shah and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath visited him. The mutt also follows a trend of running educational institutions.

despite such influence having been eroded by the emergence of newer mutts catering to specific castes.”

Such is their influence that the state government was forced to withdraw a notification calling for public consultations on a plan to bring mutts under the government’s purview.