Sri Siddalingaswamy of the Tontadharya Mutt of Gadag would be participating in an interactive session on ‘integrity of Sharana disciples’ being organised at the Eiwan-e-Shahai guest house in the City on May 12.
Stating this to the media here on Tuesday, Aland MLA B R Patil stated that the main thrust of this interactive session would be on the ideological and social differences these disciples of the Sharanas had.
Stating that the interactive session was being organised by senior dalit leader B V Chakravarthy, Mr Patil said, Dr S C Melkeri would be presiding, while senior journalist Ramzan Darga would be the chief guest.
Participants
He stated that Congress district President Allamprabhu Patil Nelogi, senior dalit leader Vittal Dodmani, Vilasvathi Khuba, Maruthi Manpade, Apparao Akkoni, Bheemanna Bonal, Somanna Nadakatti, S G Melkundi, Lingaraj Sashtri, Dr A Dayanand, Dr Sulochana, Dr Meenakashi Bali, Dr Lingappa, K Neela, Dattatraya Ikkalki, S S Hirapur, Dr Amruta Katke and others would be participating in this interactive session.
Mr Patil pointed out that people like Madara Channayya, Dohar Kakkayya, Ambigara Chowdayya and the like had come through the Sharana cultural revolution and had created history by providing leadership to the downtrodden.
However, he lamented that the Veerashaiva community people were trying to attain a different identity in the society, which was away from the Sharana philosophy.
Sharana culture
This had led the people who believed in the Sharana philosophy, to remain outside the Sharana culture.
And this was mainly responsible for friction and differences arising between different castes, he opined. Under these circumstances, holding of such an interactive session would be more relevant today, he added.