Maintaining unity of Veerashaiva Lingayat community is everyone's responsibility: Karnataka BJP chief

Bengaluru, Sep 26 (IANS) Karnataka BJP President and MLA B.Y. Vijayendra called upon members of the Veerashaiva Lingayat community to set aside internal differences and work together to protect the faith, traditions and identity of the community and preserve its institutions. 

It may be noted that the Veerashaiva Lingayat community in Karnataka has traditionally been an important support base for the BJP in Karnataka, and Vijayendra belongs to the community.

Speaking at the Veerashaiva Lingayat Dharma Samrakshana Sammelana held at Sujnana Mantapa in Vijayanagar, Bengaluru, he said the Veerashaiva Lingayat community was not confined to a single community but had, for centuries, provided shelter, support and guidance to people from all sections of society through its traditions of Annadasoha (food service), Aksharadasoha (education) and Jnanadasoha (dissemination of knowledge).

He said it was everyone's responsibility to carry forward the Veerashaiva Lingayat tradition, which has conveyed the message, "Let humanity prevail, and let peace prevail in the world through Dharma", to future generations.

Vijayendra said various discussions were currently taking place regarding Veerashaiva faith and traditions. He said there were also views that attempts were being made in the name of progressivism and rationalism to distort the basic principles of the faith.

Such issues should be discussed openly not only on public platforms but also within the community, he said.

There was a need for introspection on the problems facing the community, their causes and ways to find solutions, Vijayendra said. Understanding history was not merely about remembering past events but also about ensuring that mistakes made in the past were not repeated by future generations, he added.

Vijayendra said the Veerashaiva Lingayat community had a tradition of providing support to society at large, like a large banyan tree providing shelter to all.

The community must preserve this tradition, he said, adding that the welfare of the state was also linked to the unity of the community.

He called upon everyone to set aside internal divisions and differences and stand together in the interest of the community. Jagadgurus, Haraguru Charamurtis, community leaders, political leaders and ordinary people should recognise their responsibilities and work together, he said.

Vijayendra said Veerashaiva Lingayat mutts were important institutions that provided guidance to the community. Thousands of mutts across different parts of the state were facing financial and social challenges, and community leaders should work to provide them with the necessary support and strength, he said.

Recalling his father and former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa's tenure as Chief Minister, Vijayendra said efforts had been made during his tenure to provide assistance not only to Veerashaiva Lingayat mutts but also to mutts belonging to various other communities.

"Politics comes and goes. Elections come and go. But the strength of mutts that show society the path of justice and provide guidance to all sections must remain," Vijayendra said.

He assured that, with the blessings of the Jagadgurus, he would do his best in the coming days to provide the necessary support to mutts across the state.

Vijayendra recalled the affection and trust shown by people from different communities during the recent padayatra from Lingasugur to Ballari.

"The affection shown by mothers who waited for hours, holding their children in their arms, to welcome me has increased my responsibility further. This affection is not limited to the Veerashaiva Lingayat community. I have seen the same trust among people from various communities across the state. It is my responsibility to preserve and strengthen that trust," he said.

Vijayendra said he was not speaking merely as an MLA or BJP state president, but as a member of a family that had received the blessings of mutts that had provided leadership to the state and as the son of Yediyurappa, who had fought for farmers and society for decades.

Vijayendra said issues concerning the Veerashaiva Lingayat community should be viewed not from the perspective of political gains and losses but from the perspective of the community's rich heritage and the interests of future generations.

It was necessary to learn lessons from past events and ensure that the community was not divided in the future, he said. Only by preserving the unity of the community, its religious traditions and the strength of its mutts could this rich heritage be effectively passed on to future generations, Vijayendra said.

He called upon senior members of the Veerashaiva Lingayat community, women, Jagadgurus and leaders of all communities to work together towards this objective.

--IANS

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