Bidar
“The term ‘Veerashaiva Lingayat’ is unscientific and does not appear anywhere in the Vachana literature. ‘Veerashaiva’ is a coined term and represents only a sub-sect of the Lingayat religion,” stated Basavaraj Dhannur, Vice-President of the state unit of the Global Lingayat Mahasabha.
Speaking at a press conference, he urged that just as our country is called India and our state Karnataka, the religion of Lingayats should simply be recorded as ‘Lingayat,’ regardless of the sub-sect. He emphasized that there is no reason to write ‘Veerashaiva Lingayat’ in the religion column.
For the survey starting September 22, Lingayats can write ‘Lingayat Dharma’ in the religion column and specify their sub-sect in the caste column. He noted that there are 97 sub-sects within Lingayat.
Dhannur highlighted historical evidence, including records from the 1871 census, showing that Lingayat is an independent religion. While Hindus take pride in their identity, other groups such as Jains, Buddhists, Christians, and Sikhs are geographically and culturally part of Hinduism yet write their own religion in official records. Similarly, Lingayats should be listed as Lingayats.
Siddarameshwara Swamiji of Basava Mahamane, Basavakalyana, stated that Basava Dharma Peetha and Rashtriya Basava Dal have long advocated for Lingayat as an independent religion. He urged Lingayats to write ‘Lingayat’ in the survey without hesitation.
Youth leader Basavaraj Bhatamurge added that internal divisions have prevented Lingayats from being recognized as a minority religion, creating challenges for the community’s younger generation.
