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Karnataka: Panchamsalis relaunch 2A quota stir in Belagavi
Panchamsalis, an influential sect in the Veerashaiva-Lingayat community launched its second-phase of state-wide agitation for 2A reservation and for inclusion in the OBC category in Belagavi district on Sunday
Panchamsalis, an influential sect in the Veerashaiva-Lingayat community launched its second-phase of state-wide agitation for 2A reservation and for inclusion in the OBC category in Belagavi district on Sunday.
In an attempt to drag the attention of the state government, the Panchamsalis conducted an ‘Istalinga pooja’ (A Hindu prayer ritual) on the Pune-Bengaluru national highway along the state’s border town Nippani to flag off the movement which would be held throughout the state in the days to come.
The Istalinga pooja programme led by Jayabasava Mrutunjaya Swamy of Kudalasangama mutt marked the start of the agitation and was completed in three-minutes including a prayer for the welfare of the farmers.
“Conducting Istalinga pooja on the highway is just to drag the attention of the government and not to disturb the travellers on the road,” Mrutunjaya Swamy said.
The community wants reservation in education and employment in the state under 2A category and its addition in OBC group of the Union government, he added.
The movement commenced by offering a garland to Basaveshwar statue at Basaveshwar circle. Later, a mass convention was held at Shivaji Maharaj Cultural auditorium, before moving to the national highway for Istalinga pooja where the movement was declared open.
As part of the movement, the Istalinga pooja will also be conducted in Bagalkote on September 18 and Chadachan town on Sept 24 and later in all the districts of the state. As a large number of people come from the community, the mutt has also proposed to expand its reservation movement in Maharashtra in the coming days.
Addressing the gathering, the seer said the community was disappointed with the last Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government for giving reservation to the community in the 2D category instead of 2A category as per the demand. Panchamsalis were among those who backed the Congress government in the state with hope that it might meet the community’s demand.
Warning indirectly that the community would stand against it in next parliament election if their demands are not met, the seer said the BJP-led NDA government must include the Panchamsali community in the OBC category before the next election to the Lok Sabha.
Alleging that the state government has failed to take a concrete decision in providing 2A reservation in the allowed time that ended on Sunday, the seer said the community would shortly hold a huge public meeting of the community in the Kudalasangama mutt campus.
“The previous government had given ‘2D’ reservation instead of ‘2A’. After the government changed, the trial over the giving ‘2D’ reservation to Panchamsali’s is going on in the Supreme Court. As soon as the Congress government came to power, all the Panchamsali community leaders and legislators met chief minister Siddaramaiah with a request to provide ‘2A’ reservation. The chief minister had promised that he would think about it after the budget session. It’s been two months since the budget session, but he has not said anything over it yet,” the seer said.
The seer said he was over exalted with the support of the community and expressed confidence in getting both the demands fulfilled. “Since Veerashaiva-Lingayat is a politically dominant community in the state, it is expected to get both of its demands fulfilled as all other the branches of the community are joining the movement,” he said.
Chikkodi BJP MP Annasaheb Jolle and his wife, former minister Nippani BJP MLA Shashikala Jolle who were from Chaturth Lingayat community also participated in the movement.
Karnataka minister for women and family welfare Lakshmi Hebbalkar who led the movement when she was a legislator in last elected body has assured the community of reaching again the voice of the community to the chief minister. “I’ll put my sincere efforts to fulfil both the demands of my community,” Hebbalkar said.
BJP Rajya Sabha member Iranna Kadadi assured them that he would table the issue in the “Call Attention Motion” in the next parliamentary session.
Meanwhile, Vijayapur BJP legislator Basangouda Patil Yatnal regretted for his party government’s failure in providing the 2A reservation to the community. “I feel sorry that being a legislator from the ruling government we couldn’t meet the demand of my community,” he said, adding that despite the last assembly had good number of Panchamsali legislators they failed to impress on the government in fulfilling its demand.
The Panchamsalis, in its phase-1 movement held six different protests before last assembly election to get 2A reservation from Belagavi district which was dominated by the Veerashaiva-Lingayat community.
