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Pontiffs and politics: How much is too much interference?

Recent incidents show that religious heads are increasingly wielding their influence on the government
Last Updated 20 February 2021, 20:00 IST

At a recent congregation of Veerashaiva-Lingayat seers, who came together to rally for national OBC status for the community, a prominent pontiff warned the BJP national leadership that the saffron party will not be able to gain power anywhere in South India if the government failed to meet their demand.

Last year, a Lingayat seer threatened Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa in full public view if Panchamasali leader Murugesh Nirani was not made a minister. Irked, Yediyurappa confronted the seer. But then, Nirani was recently inducted into the Cabinet.

In 2018, in his first news conference after assuming the CM’s office, H D Kumaraswamy took head-on a seer who had declared that the Congress-JD(S) coalition would be shortlived. “Seers should not indulge in politics and stick to spirituality,” he had remarked.

Politicians patronizing mutts is not new. But recent incidents show that religious heads are increasingly wielding their influence on the government: be it reservation, Cabinet expansion or electoral politics.

The ongoing reservation protests led by seers from politically-dominant communities has yet again raised concerns not only about the blurring of lines between politics and pontiffs, but also about the extent of power vested with the Mutts. That the religious leaders have taken to streets, blatantly flexing their political muscle, has put the government in a fix.

The massive Panchamasali rally led by seer Basava Jayamruthyunjaya Swami scheduled to be held in Bengaluru on Sunday and a massive Kuruba congregation earlier this month led by Niranjanandapuri Swami of Kaginele Gurupeetha are instances that display by the clout enjoyed by pontiffs.

“The power centre has completely shifted from Vidhana Soudha to the Mutts,” former backward classes commission chairperson C S Dwarakanath says. “The seers are dictating terms to the government.” The reservation movement led by politically-dominant seers will be a threat to smaller communities that do not have such religious and political representation, he points out.

Many political leaders themselves agree that there is an unhealthy dependence on religious institutions. Requesting anonymity, a senior BJP leader called this trend a threat to democracy. “The elected representatives have surrendered the people’s mandate given to them through elections, to the seers. Unfortunately people respond to calls of religious leaders from their communities more than that of political leaders. Today, a politician cannot draw thousands of people for a movement like the ongoing reservation protests,” he says.

While earlier the relationship between a politician and a seer was that of a devotee and a spiritual leader, today the latter assume they can command both the government and the people’s mandate, the BJP leader adds, tracing this shift of dynamics to Mutts taking charge of educational institutions, which drew both money and clout.

Veteran Congress leader M Veerappa Moily, too, feels the ongoing protests are unprecedented. “I don’t blame the seers. This is happening because politicians pander to them for political interests, irrespective of any political party. All political leaders should reflect upon this,” he says. As for the current crisis, he feels it is time to let go of ad-hoc approaches to reservation. “The socio-economic survey (caste census) has to be made public.”

However, not all seers concur with the way things are unfolding. Rajashekara Swami Gorata of Hiremath Samsthan, Bemalakhed, Bidar says he stands by the seers when it comes to the reservation demands. “It’s justifiable for seers to lead a movement that would benefit the larger interest of the society. However, it’s not right on part of seers to threaten to overthrow a democratically-elected government.”

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(Published 20 February 2021, 17:00 IST)

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