Bengaluru: Lingayat seers meet CM Siddaramaiah, press religious status to community

Bengaluru (Karnataka): On Monday, a group of Lingayat seers, led by Gadag-based Tontadarya Mutt's Siddalinga Swami, met Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. They urged him to implement the report of an official committee which recommended conferring a separate religious They also demanded minority status to their community. The seers wanted Siddaramaiah to consider and implement the Nagmohan Das Committee's report which has said "Lingayats in Karnataka may be considered as religious minority," reported news agency PTI. "Our fight is not new, it has been a 900-year-old fight and it has taken a shape now. The Chief Minister should implement the report and accord separate status to Lingayat community," the Tontadarya math swamiji said, reported news agency. The Karnataka Cabinet is meeting tomorrow. It is expected to deliberate upon the matter. Last discussions held on March 8 remained inconclusive.

Karnataka: Clashes broke out b/w #Lingayat followers & Veerashaiva followers in Kalaburagi. Lingayat followers had come to celebrate state cabinet's approval for recommendation of separate religion for Lingayat community, Veerashaiva followers had come to protest against the same pic.twitter.com/Ds5rneqQxU

— ANI (@ANI) March 19, 2018

About Lingayatism: Lingayatism is a distinct Shaivite religious tradition. It was initially known as Veerashaivas. Since the 18th century adherents of this faith are known as Lingayats. Lingayatism and Veerashaivism terms have been used synonymously. However, some, reportedly, consider Veerashaivas to be a subsect of Lingayatism. And also not all Lingayats consider themselves to be Veerashaivas.