The Lingayat Panchamasali community, which had earlier launched Panchamasali Padayatra to press for inclusion under 2A category of Backward Classes, will organise an awareness campaign called Panchamasali Pratijnya Panchayat from August 26 to September 30 in every taluk of the State.
Addressing presspersons here on Thursday after a round table conference of the community, seer of Lingayat Panchamasali Peetha at Koodalasangama Sri Basava Jaya Mrutyunjaya Swami said that the awareness campaign will begin at Male Mahadeswara Hills in Chamarajnagar district and will cover the entire State.
The swami said that the campaign is to remind the State government of its assurance to decide on the reservation issue within six months and also to sensitise the community members on the developments so far and prepare plans for further agitation if the government fails to keep its promise.
The swami said that the main demand of the community is inclusion under 2A category of the State and OBC category of the Union government. This apart, the community will urge the government to consider and fulfil the reservation demands of the Kuruba, Valmiki, Madivala, Gangamata, Adi Banajiga, Kudu Vokkaliga and other communities.
To a query, the swami clarified that right from the beginning the agitation was aimed at getting reservation and was not meant for any leader from the community to become a Minister or th Chief Minister.
He further clarified that after developments indicated a change in the BJP leadership in the State, it was true that the community sought that post for the numerically strong Panchamasali community. “While the community is pained that a leader from the community has not been made Chief Minister, it is a matter of consolation that a Lingayat has been made the Chief Minister,” he said.
National president of Lingayat Panchamasali Samaj Vijayanand Kashappanavar said that the objective of the agitation is not political representation but getting due reservation for the community. He said that if the government fails to keep its promise, then the indefinite agitation in Bengaluru will be even bigger this time with an expected participation of over 20 lakh people.
Regarding efforts to set up another platform for the community, Mr. Kashappanavar said that they will be least bothered even if 10 more peethas (religious chairs) are established. “We will continue fighting till we get reservation,” he said.
The former legislators from the community H.S. Shivashankar, Somanna Bevinamarad, Nandihalli Halappa and legal advisor Dinesh Patil, who participated in the conference, said that their primary objective is getting reservation and the community is united on the issue.
Mr. Dinesh Patil said that there is no legal hurdle for the government to include the community under 2A category and they have urged the Backward Classes Commission to submit its report to the government at the earliest.
