K’taka sends religious minority proposal for Lingayats to Centre

Congress government in Karnataka on Monday approved a demand to classify the Lingayat sect as a separate religious minority, in a move to woo voters from the politically dominant community ahead of the assembly elections this year.

State law minister TB Jayachandra said the state cabinet discussed the fractious issue over two days while addressing the press.

“After due deliberations and discussion on concerns of various sections of society, the cabinet has decided to accept the recommendation of the Karnataka minorities commission, which based on the report of an experts committee, recommended to consider grant of recognition as a religious minority to the Lingayat and Veerashaiva-Lingayat [believers of Basava Tattva or teachings] under section 2(d) of the Karnataka Minorities Act,” Jayachandra said.

“We will discuss the matter with the minorities commission when we consider the question of reservation, subject to the condition that such recognition would not affect the rights and interests of other minorities in the state,” he said.

The government has now sent the proposal to the central government for consideration, and a state government notification will be issued pending this.

The issue had seen lobbying from the two groups, the Lingayats and the Veerashaivas, with the latter voicing opposition to the move arguing that both sects belonged within the Hindu religion.

At present, Lingayats get 5% reservation as they are classified as an Other Backward Class.

A former chairperson of the state Backward Classes Commission said that was not likely to change, and, hence, it would mean they would continue to get 5% reservation.

A member of the expert committee that recommended the religious minority status said that the Lingayat sub-castes already benefit from reservations. “This is only a recognition that the sect is in fact not a part of Hindu religion,” the member said, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

However, there it is still unclear if the community will be called Lingayat or VeerashaivaLingayat, which is at the heart of the current dispute. Lingayats consider the 12th-century social reformer and philosopher Basavanna or Basaveshwara as the founder of the sect, who rejected Hindu religion, and Veerashaivas believe he is one of the Hindu Shaiva saints.

BENGALURU:The