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Panchamasali seer raises quota pitch before Karnataka bypolls
Kudalasangama-based Panchamasali Mutt seer Jagadguru Basava Jaya Mrityunjaya Swami on Thursday said that the government should get the report from the backward classes commission before the October 30 bypolls in Karnataka.
In a veiled threat to the Basavaraj Bommai-led government, an influential seer from the Panchamasalis, one of the biggest sub-sects of the dominant Lingayat community, on Thursday demanded action on their reservation-related request or expect a backlash in the October 30 bypolls.
Kudalasangama-based Panchamasali Mutt seer Jagadguru Basava Jaya Mrityunjaya Swami on Thursday said that the government should get the report from the backward classes commission before the October 30 bypolls.
“There is some discontentment among the people. Last time when the results of Maski and Belagavi came, the media showed that it was the impact of Panchamasali discontentment,” the seer said.
Though he said that there was no relation with the October 30 bypolls and the demands made by the sub-sect, the seer added that members of this community account for a significant portion of Hanagal and Sindgi constituencies.
“In both places there are several of our people. In Hanagal there are 60,000 Panchamasalis, in Sindgi there are around 37,000 people. If any candidate has to win, they have to get the votes of all the communities. In this backdrop, there has been some major discontentment (among the people in the community) that we did not get reservation, the chief minister’s post (for a member of this community) and no ticket also was given. There is discontentment for various reasons,” the seer said.
The developments come even as all three political parties undertook fervent campaigns in the run up to the bypolls.
In Karnataka’s deeply caste-based political culture, dominant communities are seen to be backing particular political parties and both sides use this to their advantage when required.
The Lingayats are believed to back the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) while the Vokkaligas, found in large numbers in the old Mysuru region, back former prime minister HD Deve Gowda-led Janata Dal (Secular). The Congress is believed to have the backing of minorities, backward classes and Dalits among other sections.
The Panchamasalis have threatened to revive their agitation to be included in 2A category of the state backward list. After this demand, several other dominant communities like the Vokkaligas, Valmikis and Kurubas among others have also raised similar demands for better reservation opportunities that have added to the challenges of the Bommai government.
A collective of extremely marginalised groups have approached the courts to block any move of the government to give in to the demands of the Panchamasali as it would further deprive extremely backward communities of more opportunities.
The community had called off their decision to hold an indefinite agitation from October 1 after assurances from the chief minister the previous day.
Leaders of the community then said that they will give the government three months time after receiving the report from the backward classes commission.
The seer said that it may take a long time for the government to give the community its ‘rightful’ reservation but the least they can do is get the report from the backward classes commission.
Leaders of the community are also reaching out to members of their community in all parts of the state including Bengaluru to raise awareness and put more pressure on the government to heed to its demands.
