Lingayat community holds protest march, demands minority status

“We as Lingayats deserve minority status like other religions such as Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists,” said Avinash Bhosikar, national coordinator of the Samiti. “This will help in getting us reservations and concessions and raise our standard of living

Mumbai: Demanding a minority status and constitutional recognition as a religious community, the Lingayat community on Sunday staged a protest rally at the historic Azad Maidan. The protest was withdrawn following assurances from the state government.

Mumbai, India - Jan. 29, 2023:Followers of Lingayat samaj protested at Azad Maidan, in Mumbai, India, on Sunday, January 29, 2023. (Photo by HT Photo/ Hindustan Times) (Hindustan Times)

The agitation comes in the run-up to the local body elections in Maharashtra to be held this year. The Lingayat Samanvay Samiti, an umbrella body of the community, organised the morcha to press for its demands. “We as Lingayats deserve minority status like other religions such as Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists,” said Avinash Bhosikar, national coordinator of the Samiti. “This will help in getting us reservations and concessions and raise our standard of living.”

Bhosikar, who also heads the Basava Brigade, another community outfit, said the Maharashtra government had acceded to their demands. Former minister Vinay Kore, who addressed the crowd, said that some of the demands came under the jurisdiction of the central government. “We will study them and decide how to take them further,” he said.

The Lingayats have a sizable presence in parts of western Maharashtra and Marathwada, such as Solapur, Latur, Sangli and Kolhapur districts bordering Karnataka and Yavatmal and Washim in Vidarbha. In Maharashtra, the community is categorised under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) quota that gets 19 percent reservation in government jobs and education.

In March, 2018, the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government in Karnataka had granted the status of a separate religious minority to the Lingayat community in the state.