If Veerashaivas give up Vedic rituals they can become Lingayats

If the Veerashaivas do not accept Basavanna's supremacy, there is no question of us accepting them. If the Veerashaiva Mahasabha does not want to join us, we will proceed alone. The Viraktas and Pancha Peethadhipathis can never unite. We are like oil and water, we never mix. But we are not like Pandavas and Kauravas  

“Let the Veerashaivas give up Vedic rituals of Sanathana Hindu region and accept Basavanna's doctrines, then we can accept Panchapeethadheeshas and Veerashaivas into Lingayata religion. If they do not accept Basavanna's supremacy, there is no question of us accepting them. If the Veerashaiva Mahasabha does not want to join us, we will proceed alone” said Gadugina Thottada Dr Siddalinga Swami, reported Kannada Prabha.

He was speaking at the meeting organised on Thursday at the Jnana Jyothi auditorium at Central College campus to demand to declare Lingayata as an independent religion under the Constitution.  “Lingayata religion is pro-community and a real people’s religion. We are not willing to go with those who turn their backs to such a religion and follow blind Vedic rituals. The Pancha Peethaadheeshas are hesitant to sit with us, they demand that their seats must be 2 inches higher than ours. It is impossible to join hands with such mentality” he said, coming down heavily on the Veerashaivas.

The Pancha Peethadheshas were actually 4 earlier and became 5 after hijacking Kashi Mutt of Natha Pantha. Now that Lingayat religion has acquired significance of its own, they want to hijack that also.  Following them will neither be beneficial to devotees nor society.  Basavanna wished the betterment of mankind and they do not accept him but argue that Renukacharya was born out of stone and established the religion. Man is born only as he can be born. Panchacharyas never questioned such absurdities, he argued.

The Veerashaiva Mahasabha is also influenced by Pancha Peetha. Shyamanuru Shivashankarappa, Bheemanna Khandre and Thippanna are all aged and they cannot function any more. If they do not agree a Lingayata Mahasabha can be established under the leadership of Shivananda Jamadar, he said sarcastically.

Speaking to media persons after the meet, Dr Siddalinga Swamy said “the Viraktas and Pancha Peethadhipathis can never unite. We are like oil and water, we never mix. But we are not like Pandavas and Kauravas. They are Vedic traditionalists. We are Lingayata followers of Basavanna. Intellectually we don’t gel”.

The other differences he mentioned were that Veerashaivas are against reservation whereas Lingayats are for reservation. Veerashaivas are not pro-people in their ideology.  They believe in Hinduism, he said.