The recent “threat” by Sri Vachanananda Swami of Veerashaiva Lingayat Panchamasali Peetha at Harihar to Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa on the need for inclusion of more Panchamasali MLAs in the State Cabinet has brought to light the bickering among the sub-sects of Veerashaiva Lingayat community.
Although there are still several people who don’t consider Mr. Yediyurappa as a Lingayat leader as he did not support the Lingayat movement, they are sympathetic towards him, only for the reason that he is part of the same community.
That was evident from the fact that Sri Basava Jaya Mrutyunjaya Swami of Panchamasali Peetha at Koodalasangama (the other Panchamasali Peetha owing allegiance to Basava philosophy) was quick to voice his support for the Chief Minister.
Sri Vachanananda Swami had said that the Panchamasali community would have to rethink about its support to the BJP if former Minister and industrialist Murugesh Nirani and other leaders from the community were not made Ministers.
While the swami’s conduct at Hara Jatre, where he issued the “threat”, was condemned by a few other seers and community leaders, it has also has brought to the fore the divisions within the Veerashaiva Lingayat community that exist based on sub-sects.
No doubt, these sub-sects were one of the criteria for ticket selection during elections. But with over 40 Lingayats from the BJP entering the Legislative Assembly and several being strong contenders for Ministerial berths, Mr. Yediyurappa is finding it tough to do the balancing act.
In fact, Mr. Yediyurappa expressed his inability to “please all” from among the community soon after the comment of the seer and even issued a counter threat as it were that he would resign and go home.
At present, eight Lingayats, including Mr. Yediyurappa, are among the total 18 Ministers who have been sworn in.
While there are almost nil sub-sects among the Veerashaiva Lingayat community in the Old Mysuru region, the sub-sects are dominant among the Lingayats residing in the North Karnataka. Interestingly it was in these districts that the 12th Century social reformer Basaveshwara, also considered as founder of Lingayatism by a section of the community, spread his message of treating everyone equally.
While after the era of Basaveshwara and the subsequent lull in the Vachana movement which lasted over two centuries, several changes took place and professions became castes, the differences among the sub-sects only widened with the passage of time.
Although marriages among the sub-sects in Veerashaiva Lingayats are taking place now, the differences still exist, which explains the reason for the particular seer’s conduct. While the seer has apologised after a backlash, the undercurrent is likely to trouble the Chief Minister and he will have a hard task to handle when he expands his Cabinet.
