Hubballi: The Lingayat and Veerashaiva battle has escalated with both factions now willing to lock horns on whether they are one and the same community or different at a public debate on the issue.
Janata Dal (Secular) leader Basavaraj Horatti, who has been in the forefront of the movement for an independent religious tag for Lingayats, had planned to hold the debate at the Moorusavir Math on December 30 and Dingaleshwar Swamiji of Balehonnur Peetha of Gadag district, who believes that both Lingayats and Veerashaiva belong to one community, had accepted his challenge.
But the Hubballi-Dharwad police and the Moorusavir Math trust refused permission for the event on Friday when all the preparations were done for it, angering both factions. Mr Horatti has now postponed the debate, but not given up on holding it.
While the Janata Dal (Secular) leader has set up a team of six experts to argue his case during the discussion, the Veershaiva seer has also finalised his team of experts to support his stance.
Mr Horatti is not keen on holding a public debate as it could lead to a law and order situation, but has offered to instead videograph it to show to the public later.
“I had invited Veerashaiva leaders and seers for the open debate and pledged to stay away from the movement if they were able to prove their claim. But if they fail to provide the neccessary evidence to support their claim, Veerashaiva leaders and seers must withdraw their agitation and allow Lingayats to fight for an independent religious tag on their own. I was all ready to prove that the Lingayat religion was founded by Basavanna in the 12th century and was confident of obtaining a Constitutional status for it,” Mr Horatti said, deploring that the police and the Math had refused permission for the debate when all preparations had been done for it.
Dingaleshwar Swamiji contends that social reformer Basavanna has not used the word, Lingayat in his Vachanas and Veerashaiva-Lingayats have a history going back thousands of years.
