Seers head struggle panel

Seers Dr Tontada Siddalinga Swami of Tontadarya mutt and Annadaneeshwara Swami of Mundaragi will be honorary presidents of the ‘Bhoo Swadheena Virodhi Sangrama Samiti’ (Committee for Struggle Against Land Acquisition). The committee has lined up several conventions and rallies to mobilise people across the State in coming weeks.
The Tontadarya mutt seer has been the spirit behind the agitation since its genesis. The head of a powerful mutt in north Karnataka, Tontada Siddalinga Swami is counted among the progressive Lingayat seers and has been associated with pro-people and anti-sectarian causes.
Dr Siddanagouda Patil, Basavaraj Channalli, Basavaraj Soolibhavi, Y N Goudar, Hanumappa Gaddada, Kotrappa, B S Hiregoudar, Channappa Boodihal, Koodlappa and Hoogar Sharanappa are the convenors. 
Members of the units in the villages which are facing the threat of acquisition, and various progressive organisations will be included in the executive committees. 
The committee has planned a foundation convention on July 14 at Tontadarya Kalyana Kendra in Gadag in which more than 50 religious leaders will take part. Besides, some mutts have volunteered to participate in the anti-land acquisition campaign, said Siddanagouda Patil, who is also the Secretary of the CPI State unit. 
Lingayat mutts are at the core of socio-cultural life of the community. Many of them manage professional educational institutions. Lingayat seers play the role of religious counsellors to the community and in the recent days, some of them have played an activist role protecting the community’s political interest.
“Most of the devotees of the mutts are farmers who have sustained the mutts through centuries. Hence, the pontiffs of various mutts have obliged to take up the cause of farmers opposing the land acquisition,” Patil said.  ‘Bhoomi Rakshaneyedege Namma Nadige’, a rally for protection of land will be taken out from Gadag to Halligudi on July 18 and a convention on movement against land acquisition will be organised on July 25. 
Leaders of various progressive organisations and farmers’ leaders from across the State will participate in the convention, he said.