Basava Sanskruti Abhiyan events in Bagalkot and Belagavi today, tomorrow

Basava Sanskruti Abhiyan events will be organised in Bagalkot on Wednesday and in Belagavi on Thursday to create awareness about the coming social and educational survey and renewing the demand for recognition as independent religion.

However, some groups have opposed this and appealed to the community members to abstain from such events.

While groups like Jagatika Lingayat Mahasabha have appealed to the community members to record their religion as Lingayat and caste as Lingayat sub-castes, others like Akhila Bharatiya Veerashaiva Mahasabha have appealed to the community to record it as Veerashaiva Lingayat.

District president of the Jagatika Lingayat Mahasabha Basavaraj Rotti told reporters in Belagavi on Tuesday that the cultural campaign will be organised in Belagavi on Thursday.

“It has been a year since the State government declared Basavanna as a cultural leader. The event mainly to celebrate this is being organised by various organisations like the Jagatika Lingayat Mahasabha, the association of Math heads, Sharan Sahitya Parishad, Rashtriya Basava Dal, Lingayat Sangathan and pro-Basava organizations.

To a query, Mr. Rotti said that the Jagatika Lingayat Mahasabha will appeal to the community to record their religion as Lingayat and their sub-castes as caste.

“The campaign is being organised across the State. It will be welcomed at Shivabasava Swamiji Circle in Shivabasava Nagar on Thursday morning. Sri Siddarama Swamiji of Tontadarya Mutt, Basavalinga Pattaddevaru of Bhalki and Panditaradhya Shivacharya of Sanehalli will interact with students and the public at the open-air auditorium of R.N. Shetty College. Public Works Minister Satish Jarkiholi will launch the Basava Culture Abhiyan’s Harmony Walk to be organised from the premises of Lingaraj College to the premises of S.G. Balekundri Engineering College in Shivabasava Nagar at 4 p.m.,” he said.

“Women and Child Development Minister Lakshmi Hebbalkar will inaugurate the public meeting to be organised on the premises of the Rudrakshi Mutt. Resource persons like Siddhabasava Kabiraswamy of Chigarahalli in Kalaburagi district and Shivalinga Hegde of Santpura in Bidar district will speak.

MLA Asif (Raju) Sait will be present, Mr. Rotti said. The Shivsanchar Kala Troupe of Sanehalli will perform the play, Jangamadedege.

Meanwhile, at a meeting of devotees and seers in Guledgudda near Badami in Bagalkot district, a resolution was adopted asking community members not to attend the Basava Sankruti Abhiyan events.

Sri Kashinath Swami of Murughamath said that the event is politically motivated and aimed at dividing the Lingayat community.

He said that the Veerashaiva Lingayat Dharma Okkoota is trying to unify the various groups while Jagatika Lingayat Mahasabha and others are trying to divide them.

And, over 100 heads of maths who gathered at the Panchagram Muktimath in Belagavi have resolved to appeal to the community members to record their religion as Veerashaiva Lingayat.