By Invitation: Political? Partisan? Lingayats a religion, give them their due

There are several misconceptions about the Lingayat movement in Karnataka, that it is about a caste in Hinduism, that Lingayats form the largest community in the state, that they are all rich and that the movement is a political stunt of the Congress party in an election year.

But the reality is that the official records declaring Lingayatism as a religion date back to 1871 when the first ever census was conducted in India. In fact, the 1871 census of the princely state of Mysore defined Lingayatism  as a separate religion totally different from Hinduism. The population statistics of Lingayats were not mixed with that of the Hindu castes of  Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Shudras and Lingayats were included along with Jains and Buddhists among Indian religions while Muslims, Christians, and Parsis were catergorised separately as non-Indian religions.

Unfortunately, after the rendition of power to the Prince of Mysore in 1881, the Lingayat religion was liquidated by Diwan C Rangacharlu for political reasons and without assigning any reason whatsoever it found itself  categorised as a Shudra sub caste. When this provoked a huge agitation,  the Maharaja released a separate code for Lingayats in 1891 but did not change their status as Shudras. Instead, a new and an unknown caste called Virashaiva was added to the existing Lingayat sub groups, which numbered 38. This continued till 1941 when the caste census was stopped altogether.

It is true that no new religion can be created under the Constitution of India, but Lingayatism as a religion has been in existence since the twelfth century.  So this movement is not about creating a new religion, but seeking recognition for Lingayatism as a separate religion.

The Lingayats are  not the larger community either as their population varied from 6 per cent in the 1870s to 12 per cent in the 1950s  and to 18 per cent in the BC Commission reports. But the average has not exceeded 15.5 percent. In the 2015 caste census they were reported to be around 9 per cent of the population. The largest percentage was that of SCs, who formed around 18 per cent of the population, followed by Muslims and Okkaligas and Kurubas, in that order.  

The Lingayats are also not the richer community. Certain sub- groups such as Banajigas, Reddy Lingayats, Sadars and Nonabas are relatively better off, but  most Lingayat sub -groups such as Panchamsalis, Kudavakkaliga and Jangamas, and most of the lower sub- groups are very poor. All artisan groups and lower castes among Lingayats are therefore rightly included in the BC Commission reports including the Havanur  and Chinnappa Reddy Commissions.

Also, the Lingayat movement is neither new nor sudden as the community has been trying to get a separate religious status since the 1940s on the grounds that its sanskaras, traditions, and beliefs are totally different and quite opposed to the Vedic prescriptions. Although the Agamic god Shiva (just the name) is worshipped by the monotheistic Lingayats, they reject not only the authority of Brahmins and Vedas but also Agamas, Puranas and Shastras. There is no hell or heaven, no doctrine of Karma, or rebirth or  caste system. Instead it emphasises the doctrine of Kayak (work) and Dasoha (sharing the fruits of honest work with the community) and professes equality of men and women, advocates widow re-marriage, prohibits child marriage and proscribes dowry.
It was as far back as in 1941 that the Annual Session of Lingayats held under Virashaiva Mahasabha in Kumbhkonum, Tamil Nadu resolved to agitate against their inclusion under the Hindu religion by the government in the census of that year.

Then during World War II, in 1942-43, Lingayat leaders united under the banner of the Lingayat Aikya Sangha and organised a Lingayat regiment . Later, they approached Lord Stafford Crips and requested for recognition of the Lingayat community as a separate entity.

In 1945 the Lingayat Aikya Sangha led by Barrister Sardar of Sholapur (Maharashtra) sought recognition of Lingayats as a minority community, reservation of quotas for Lingayats in government jobs, nomination of Lingayats to state legislatures and representation of Lingayats in the Constituent assembly.
 In more recent years, the Akhil Bharat Virashaiva Mahasabha has been trying from 1970 to 2011-2013 to get a separate code for Lingayats in the decennial censuses , but without any success.

Moreover, viewing the movement as purely as attempt of the Congress party to fracture the pro-BJP Lingayat votebank does not recognise the fact that the BJP and Sangh Parivar were invited to lead the agitation, but did not agree. The BJP failed to espouse the Lingayat cause although its Chief Ministerial nominee belongs to the community. It missed the bus and it is too late for it now.

It overestimated the hold of Yeddyurappa, its Chief Ministerial nominee ,  and one or two big Lingayat Mutts on the Lingayat community forgetting that for 15 years, from 1956 to 1971  the Congress had four Lingayat Chief Ministers in Karnataka. Again in the 1989 Assembly elections the Congress under Lingayat leader,  Veerendra Patil won 189 out of 224 Assembly seats. It was only after it humiliated him that it alienated the Lingayats.

If the present government recognises Lingayatism as a separate minority religion, then all will end well. But if it does not, the agitation will continue unabated no matter which party comes to power. The Lingayat agitation is therefore neither political nor partisan.

 — Dr S.M. Jaamdar, IAS (retd)

 The writer is former Home Secretary to the the state government