Religion Status for Lingayat Will Not Harm Hinduism, Says Sri Siddarama Swami of Gadag
Sri Siddarama Swami of Gadag Tontadarya Math has stated that granting religion status to Lingayat will not have any negative impact on Hinduism. Speaking at a meeting of Lingyat Math seers in Dharwad, he emphasized that Hinduism is not a religion but a way of life.
According to Sri Siddarama Swami, a religion is defined as a set of beliefs and rituals initiated by one person. It should have a group of followers who adhere to one holy book considered its constitution, worship one God, and share common customs. However, Hinduism does not fit this definition. It was not founded by a single individual, its followers worship multiple Gods (33 crore), and they do not have one specific holy book. The Bhagavad Gita, which is considered significant in Hinduism, does not even mention the word Hindu. In other important Hindu scriptures like the Upanishads or Vedas, the word Hindu cannot be found. Sri Siddarama Swami clarifies that Hinduism can be more accurately termed as Vedic religion and suggests that some people later adopted the term Hinduism.
The movement for Lingayat religion, Sri Siddarama Swami insists, is not anti-Hindu. He believes that Lingayats claiming their distinct identity as a religion will not be detrimental to the interests of Hinduism in any way. He asserts that Lingayat possesses all the essential characteristics necessary to be recognized as a separate religion.
Sri Siddarama Swami also addresses the notion that non-Hindus, such as Jains, Buddhists, or Sikhs, are enemies of Hindus. According to him, this is untrue. These groups follow different faiths, and they are not even ideological opponents, emphasizing the importance of respecting diverse religious beliefs.
The Swami urges the State government to resend the Justice Nagmohan Das report regarding the religion status for Lingayat to the Union government.
When asked about the equivalence of Lingayats and Veerashaivas, Sri Siddarama Swami vehemently opposes the notion of treating them as the same. He states that Lingayats and Veerashaivas are distinct from each other and questions the argument for equal treatment or inclusion of both in the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) list.
Overall, Sri Siddarama Swami’s perspective aims to assert that the recognition of Lingayat as a separate religion will not harm Hinduism and should be considered in the interest of acknowledging diversity within the Hindu community. It is important to note that this viewpoint represents one side of the ongoing debate and further discussions and opinions from various stakeholders are needed for a comprehensive understanding of the issue.
