Bengaluru: Infighting within members of Veerashaiva Lingayat community evidently reached flash point with a group of pontiffs, led by pontiffs of Virakta Maths, stating that one faction of Veerashaivas could not be given a separate religion tag under the Constitution.
Such a stand comes a day after more than two lakh people gathered in Belagavi to press for a separate religion tag for Lingayats.
On Wednesday, pontiffs who perform rituals according to Shaiva tradition adopted several resolutions concurring with the stand adopted by Akhila Bharath Veerashaiva Mahasabha.
Later, these pontiffs met Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and handed over a memorandum opposing separate religion status.
Other major resolutions include: seeking reservation of 12-15 per cent under the present 2A category or creation of a separate layer in existing reservation matrix in order to provide reservation for people belonging to sub castes among Veerashaivas. This decision seems to have been taken by Virakta Math seers in order to win over the common man within the community. However, a hike in reservation from five per cent to 15 per cent would certainly benefit common man within the community in educational institutions and government jobs.
The meeting of pontiffs resolved that Veerashaiva Lingayat is an ancient religion and that senior pontiffs should take immediate steps to ensure the unity of this religion.
In a well-thought-out resolution the pontiffs claimed their supremacy and said, “One section of this religion cannot be given religion status under the Constitution.” This mirrors the fact that the old guard has virtually dropped the demand for separate religion status.
