<p>Bengaluru: Welcoming the recent assertion by the All India Veerashaiva Lingayat Mahasabha that Lingayats do not belong to Hinduism, the Jagatika Lingayat Mahasabha on Thursday urged Lingayats to assert their distinct religious identity in the caste census by registering their religion as ‘Lingayat’ rather than being grouped under Hindus or Veerashaivas.</p>.<p>Speaking to reporters, the Mahasabha’s chief general secretary S M Jamadar said Lingayats were neither Hindus nor Veerashaivas.</p>.Lingayat leaders hold meeting for accurate community count in survey.<p>Jamadar firmly rejected the notion that Lingayats and Veerashaivas formed a single religious community, insisting the two were entirely separate.</p>.<p>He cautioned against attempts by some groups to blur this distinction to artificially increase their numbers, warning Lingayats not to fall victim to such misinformation. He urged community members to select the ‘Other’ option under the religion category during the census and explicitly write ‘Lingayat’. He advised them to write specific caste names in caste column.</p>
<p>Bengaluru: Welcoming the recent assertion by the All India Veerashaiva Lingayat Mahasabha that Lingayats do not belong to Hinduism, the Jagatika Lingayat Mahasabha on Thursday urged Lingayats to assert their distinct religious identity in the caste census by registering their religion as ‘Lingayat’ rather than being grouped under Hindus or Veerashaivas.</p>.<p>Speaking to reporters, the Mahasabha’s chief general secretary S M Jamadar said Lingayats were neither Hindus nor Veerashaivas.</p>.Lingayat leaders hold meeting for accurate community count in survey.<p>Jamadar firmly rejected the notion that Lingayats and Veerashaivas formed a single religious community, insisting the two were entirely separate.</p>.<p>He cautioned against attempts by some groups to blur this distinction to artificially increase their numbers, warning Lingayats not to fall victim to such misinformation. He urged community members to select the ‘Other’ option under the religion category during the census and explicitly write ‘Lingayat’. He advised them to write specific caste names in caste column.</p>
