A significant meeting has been called on Oct 10 of all Veerashaiava and Lingayat factions to reach a logical conclusion. If both the factions agree to be united they will go together, if not they will separately fight for their respective rights, reported Kannada Prabha.
According to sources, if a consensus is not reached at the Oct 10 meeting a separate application will be submitted for Lingayat to be given the independent religion status, under the leadership of Minister M B Patil. Veerashaiva faction has already submitted an application demanding a separate status.
On Wednesday evening the leaders of the two factions held fierce debate at Shamanuru Shivashankarappa’s residence. Shamanuru faction said Veerashiava or Veerashaiva Lingayat religion should be opted for. Minister M B Patil’s faction strangely refuted this and argued that since the Supreme Court and the Central Government had earlier rejected the word Veerashaiva and it will be a hindrance. Hence argued that Mahasabha should agree for Lingayat.
The meeting started at 5.30 pm but till 7.30 pm a consensus was not reached. There were heated exchange of words and at one point M B Patil and Basavaraja Horatti expressed their irritation against Mahasabha secretary Eshwar Khandre and vice-president N Tippanna and said they came only as a mark of respect for Shamanuru or else would not have come.
Shamanuru did not lose his cool and advised that whatever be the differences Veerashaiva and Lingayat should not divide. If we divide no party will speak to us, understand the nuances he said. Responding to that Horatti said we also do notw ant to break the society. If we insist on the term Veerashaiva again it will not be accepted and again we may have to wait another 10 years. Call a meeting on Oct 10 and let us finalise, he said. It was agreed upon.
Earlier in the day at the Veerashaiva Mahasabha General Body meeting at Kondajji Basappa auditorium Eshwar Khandre requested all members to support Veerashaiva religion and following heated debate the media was sent out.