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Veerashaiva Mahasabha to split, Lingayat to be independent entity

  • Veerashaiva Mahasabhe, that has 113 years of history is ready for a split.
  • The official announcement about the launching of Akhila Bharata Lingayat Mahasamsthe would be made. 
  • Lingayat Convention organised in the second week of September at Kalaburgi.  
  • Shamanuru Shivashankarappa, the current president of Veerashaiav Mahasabha said he did not know who all had resigned.
Veerashaiva Mahasabha to split

Veerashaiva Mahasabhe, the representative body of Veerashaiva Lingayat that has 113 years of history is ready for a split. All preparations are being made by the Lingayat Independent Religion Agitation Committee to establish a Lingayat Maha Samsthe, breaking away from Veerashaiva mahasabha. Starting from registration to designing the logo with Ishta Linga, prominence given to the 99 sub sects and appointing the office bearers hectic activities are undertaken, reported Kannada Prabha.

A high ranking office bearer of the committee revealed to Kannada Prabha that the official announcement about the launching of Akhila Bharata Lingayat Mahasamsthe would be made at the Lingayat Convention organised in the second week of September at Kalaburgi.  With this the historical Mahasabha will be officially split.

In support of this claim the Belagavi district unit has come out of the Mahasabha and already started functioning independently. The Bidar district office bearers have also resigned. A team consisting Water Resources Minister M B Patil, retired IAS officer Dr Shivananda Jamadar and others has already prepared the blue print of the Lingayat Mahasamsthe, according to sources.

The Veerashaiva Mahasabha has the logo with the words Om Namah Shivaya. The Lingayat Mahasabha will have the logo with Basavanna’s words Kayakave Kialasa, with the Ishta Linga. There is a possibility that Minister M B Patil may be the first president and Maha General Secretary will be Dr Shivananda Jamadar. Ilakallla Mahantha Swamy, Gadugina Tontada Dr Siddalinag Swamy and Naganuru Rudrakshi mutt Siddarama Swamiji will be life patrons.

According to history, Lingayat religion consists of 99 sub sects spread over Karnataka, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Tamil Nadu. These 99 sub sects are based on the Basava doctrine of profession. Majority of the sub sects are ready to come out of Veerashaiva Mahasabha, it is said.

The Veerashaiva Mahasabha was established in 1904 by the Hanagalla Kumaraswamy, without distinguishing between Veerashaiva and Lingayat.  The first president was Shirasangi Lingaraja, one of the seven esteemed founder members of K L E Institute. Minister M B Patil, who is in the forefront of establishing Lingayat Mahasabha is a descendent of Shirasangi Lingaraja. The Mahasabha was constantly striving to uphold the status of the community. This is the first time that a split between the two communities has taken such a strong turn. All Lingayats have decided to walk out of the Mahasabha.

When asked Shamanuru Shivashankarappa, the current president of Veerashaiav Mahasabha said he did not know who all had resigned. If they want to establish a parallel institution let them, he said.

G B Patil, the coordinator of Lingayat Independent Religion Horata samite said 90 per cent of the office bearers are ready to resign. We have asked them to wait. After the Kalaburgi convention wait and see the developments, he said.

 

 

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