Lingayat or Veerashaiva-Lingayat or Hindu? In Karnataka, a political charge struggle on religion and caste

Story so far: Even when Karnataka launched its second socio-economic survey on 22 September, the state’s largest caste group, the Veerashaiva-Lingayat community, continues with a fight, sideline.

The Karnataka Social and Educational Survey 2025 is being conducted by Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes to collect data on socio-educational and economic parameters. Although the determination of “backwardness” of various caste groups is the major objective of survey, the focus of major communities has been mainly on numerical consolidation.

One aspect that made headlines continuously is confusion and disagreement within the Veerashaiva-Lingayat community on enrollment. There have been clashes on a contradictory appeal by caste organizations, political leaders and representatives of the views on how the ‘religion’ columns have their community and caste names.

Why has a separate religion demand for Veerashaiva-Lingayat now come? What is the illusion around the naming?

Who are Lingayat and Veerasivas?

Lingayat, a numerical and politically strong community in Karnataka, is a follower of the 12th-century social reformer-dedication-Payet Basavevara, who defined the caste system and Vedic rituals. They argue that the basis of this rebellion was vested in opposition to the established Hindu order, and therefore wants to classify it as a separate religious group. Lingayat worships ‘Parshaiva’ and says that the concept of ‘Ista Linga’ (individual God) and the rules of conduct determined by Basaveshwar cannot be equal to the Hindu way of life.

On the other hand, Veerashaiva is a Shivate religious tradition. Its followers follow the Vedas and claim to predict the reformist movement that creates Lingayats.

Battle for ‘Lingayatism’

Although the demand for a separate identity has been revealed twice so far, the movement is more than four decades. The last time it was brought up when it was brought up in 2017, when a mega movement for an independent religion status for ‘Lingayatism’ saw a revival in the run-up for the 2018 assembly elections.

In December 2017, the Karnataka government led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah established a seven -member expert committee, which was led by former High Court Judge HN Nagmohan Das to evaluate proposals to consider Lingayats as a religious minority.

In March 2018, based on the approval of the recommendation of the State Cabinet Committee, the Government of Karnataka recognized Lingayats and Veerashaviyas “religious minority”, which follows Basava Tatawa. It urged the Center to inform the situation under the Central Minorities Commission Act.

However, on December 10, 2018, the Central Government told the Karnataka High Court that it had rejected the state government’s recommendation to give religious minority status to the Lingayat and Veerashaiva community.

Reiterated what he said in a letter to the state government on November 23, 2018, that Lingayat/Veerashaiva community is part of Hinduism.

It has been reported that Veerashaiva Lingayat will demand a religion code for his community in the 16th National Census starting in October 2026. ABVLM will press for a code number or a column or a pillar or a prank to record its religion as Veerashaiva Lingayat as independent religion.

Who wants what?

The current wave of the ‘separate religion’ movement has achieved such a significant momentum that for the first time in recent years, the ‘Guru’ and ‘Virkata’ tradition of the Veerashaiva-Lingayat community shared a platform in the Veerasiveva Lingayat unity inclusion, which was to send a message. However, the conference failed to take a clear stand on the choice of naming.

Although the Jagatika Lingayat Mahasabha (JLM), which represents Lingayats, and Akhila Bharata Veerashaiva-Lingayat Mahasabh (ABVLM), which represents Veerashaiva-Lingayat, is working for a separate religious status for both communities, varying for differences.

While JLM has urged Basaveshwar’s followers to register themselves as ‘Lingayat’ under ‘other’ in the Dharma Pillar, ABVLM has appealed to the community members to relate themselves to ‘Veerashaiva-Lingayat’ religion. Both of them have been instructed to further mention their sub-castes in the caste column.

It is unlike demographically strong and major Panchamasali community, which has decided to mention ‘Hindu’ and ‘Lingayat Panchamasali’ in the Dharma Pillar. However, Akhila Bharat Lingayat Panchamasali Trust has asked its followers to present themselves as ‘Lingayat’ under religion.

Some political leaders of the community opposed the re -classification, saying that the rebellion formed by the Lingayat sect was reformist like the Bhakti movement, and its purpose was not to move away from Hindu fold.

BJP leaders like Vijaypura MLA and expelled BJP leader Basnagauda Patil Yatnal have cited the loss of reservation benefits to overcome the Veerashaiva Lingayats from removing themselves under a new religion. He had said that unless it is recognized by the Center, there is no point in registering religion in the form of religion.

A Congress ‘trick’?

In Karnataka, including BJP leaders, including former Chief Minister Basavraj Bomai and Jagdish Sheter, have labeled the survey as “Congress’ to divide the large Hindu community using caste organizations. He said that while the constitution recognizes only six religions, the survey also provides a ‘other’ column to provoke Veerashaiva-Lingayat and unity of Hindus.

Keeping in mind the demand in 2018, keeping in mind the election results, the Congress is currently becoming additional alert at this time, removing any uncertainty around the survey. “There is no doubt about this. It is not a caste survey. It is about social justice. We want to uplift the communities socially and educationally. Otherwise there is no need to doubt. We have given people the option of self-disclair,” said Deputy CM DK Shivkumar.

Incidentally, Congress leaders have batted for a separate religion code for the community, including cabinet ministers Ashwar Khandre and MB Patil, MLA Shamanur Shivshankarppa (who is also the president of ABVLM), Vijayanand Kashappanavar, Vinay Kulkarni, among others.

In addition, the inclusion of Christian sub-castes such as Lingayat Christian, Kuruba Christian, Brahmin Christian, and Vokkaliga Christian also creates a controversy, in which Veerashaiva-Lingayat accused the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government of deliberately trying to encourage implantation. After the commotion, the Commission later decided to mask 33 Christian sub-stems from the survey.

What are political effects?

Lingayats said, “Kalyanaka and Kittur Kittur Kittur and Kittur Karnataka regions are organized to include 10–17% of Karnataka’s 10–17% population and under other backward classes.

While the Congress had 26 Veerashaiva-Lingayat in its ranks in 2013, its support for a separate Lingayat movement proved expensive to bring the number of community leaders selected on party tickets in 16 in 2018. It is estimated that it was also the cause of the loss of CM Siddaramah in Masuru seat, which is a significant number.

However, the tide turned in 2023, when 34 Veerashaiva-Lingayat won on Congress ticket-Best since 1989, when the party had 45 Veerashaiva-Lingayat MLAs.

On the other hand, Saffron’s party, which had 38 Veerashaiva-Lingayat MLAs in 2018, is now below 18. Now the Congress has moved forward numerically, the BJP and the RSS are concerned that the demand for a religious minority tag is more and more, which can provoke Hindu votes. ,

It should be noted that the pressure of the Veerashaiva-Lingayat community played a major role in taking a new socio-educational survey in the state government. Caste leaders claimed that while their community is about 17% to 22% of the state’s population (some also said that it was 30%), H. In the 2015 survey conducted by the Kanthraj Commission, the number was reduced, which underestimated his population at about 66.35 lakhs or about 11%. For decades, the community has negotiated to political clots using its approximate population data.

Will there be any effect?

Meanwhile, Madhusudan Naik, chairman of the backward class commission, has said that there is no value for the pillar of religion as the religion does not come under the purview of the Commission. “We will not evaluate on the basis of religion and information is being sought under a broader category.”

Responding to the efforts made by Veerasi–Lingayat groups to calculate the members of his community under “other” in the religion category, he said, “In his movement for religion, they can advise the members of their community to write a certain way to make themselves vocal. But when we analyze, there is no analysis of our analysis. Our analysis of our analysis is an analysis of our analysis, an analysis.”