Seers demand inclusion of Lingayat subsects in OBC list

Bengaluru: Over the past few months, various communities have been demanding reservations or an increase in their share of quota. The latest to join the race for reservations are all sub-sects of Veerashaiva-Lingayats. Over 200 Lingayat-Veerashaiva seers under the aegis of the National Federation of Veerashaiva-Lingayat Seers, held a meeting on Saturday demanding that Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa recommend all sub-sects of Lingayats community to the central Other Backward Classes list.

The new demand has mainly come from the Lingayat Virakta Mathas in the State which generally attract devotees from every sect of the Lingayat community unlike subsect-based Lingayat Mathas in the state. Speaking to the media, Mahantlinga Shivacharya Swamiji of Vibhutipura Matha, one of the chief organisers of this event, said none of the participating seers were opposed to those demanding reservations for their respective subsects. "It is their Constitutionally guaranteed right. Who are we to question their demands or to oppose them? Our demand is simple and we have not chosen a confrontational path."

It said that the Lingayats in the State are one of the most socio-politically influential communities which has seen 13 Chief Ministers in the last 60 years in Karnataka, including current Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa. Seers from States like Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra and others are together on this demand.

"All of us are demanding that all sects of our community should be included in the central government's Other Backward Class (OBC) quota. This will benefit the entire community. There are 102 subsects in Lingayat community and so far only 30 have been included in the central OBC reservation list.

Our fight is to get justice for all 102 subsects instead of thinking about one or two," Shivacharya Swamiji further said adding that issues raised by Panchamasali subsect are entirely different from what Virakta Matha seers are demanding. Panchamasali demand is limited to Karnataka and it has to be decided within the State itself.

"Our demand is directly linked to the Union government. Thus, we are only handing over a memorandum to Chief Minister Yediyurappa."

Chief Minister Yediyurappa was inundated with requests from various communities for reservations. Currently, at least eight communities are demanding a change in reservation category or more benefits under the existing category.

While the Panchamasali sect is asking for Category 2A status under Backward Class (BC) quota instead of the 3B status it currently has, the Kurubas are agitating for a Scheduled Tribe (ST) tag. In Karnataka, 101 castes come under Schedule Caste, 53 under Schedule Tribe and 207 under Other Backward Class.

The Kurubas, who come under 2A category, are demanding that the State government bring it under ST category. Under the leadership of Niranjananandapuri swami of Kaginele mutt, some of Yediyurappa's cabinet colleagues have also taken part in movements.