Lingayat seers seek Rs 500 cr for spreading Basavanna’s ideals

Bengaluru: A delegation of seers from the Veerashaiva-Lingayat community met Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday to press for the allocation of Rs 500 crore in his 16th budget for initiatives aimed at spreading the legacy of 12th century poet-reformer Basavanna.

The seers urged the CM to earmark the funds, to be utilised over five years, through which the ideas and philosophy of Basavanna could be taken to the younger generation. The seers informed Siddaramaiah that decisions to this effect had been taken at the recently held All India Sharana Sahitya Sammelana in Chitradurga district.

The specific demands placed before the CM include the establishment of a "Sharana Darshana" centre on a 25-acre plot on the lines of the Akshardham, the setting up of a "Sharana Memorial Protection Authority" and a Vachana University in Basavakalyan. The delegation also underscored the need for "Basava Bhavans" in all districts where the Department of Kannada and Culture could conduct regular programmes.

Allocation of funds for preserving, publishing, and collecting of Vachana literature and manuscripts is another demand that the delegation made. Meanwhile, Siddaramaiah reaffirmed his government’s commitment to the ideology of Basavanna, and the Vachana tradition. He assured the seers of fulfilling their demands in a phased manner.

“Basavanna’s ideology is vital to creating a secular society. Casteist groups with vested interests do not like his ideology, but since they cannot openly oppose him, they do so among themselves,” Siddaramaiah said.

The CM pointed out that the Congress government had resurrected the Anubhava Mantapa project, besides declaring Basavanna as Karnataka’s cultural leader.

Earlier on Monday, ministers and MLAs, along with the Lingayat seers, called on Minister for Large and Medium Industries M B Patil at the latter’s residence, and intimated him about their demands.