Panel to decide on religion tag for Lingayat

DHNS
December 23, 2017

Bengaluru, Dec 23: A seven-member expert committee has been constituted to look into demands for a minority religion tag for the Lingayat and Veerashaiva faiths, even as all three major political parties - the Congress, the BJP and the JD(S) - tread cautiously on the sensitive issue ahead of the Assembly elections.

Retired High Court Justice H N Nagmohan Das will head the committee that has been formed by the Karnataka State Minorities Commission. The committee, sources said, has been given four weeks to examine demands made by various religious groups in this regard and submit a report.

This comes days after Chief Minister Siddaramaiah asked the minorities commission to look into demands from various political and religious leaders who have sought minority religion status in the Lingayat and Veerashaiva faiths. This is also an indication that the government is in a hurry to draw curtains on this issue, which is considered a political hot potato with polls round the corner.

According to sources, the committee comprises Kannada Development Authority chairman S G Siddaramaiah; Jawaharlal Nehru University Kannada Language chair Purushothama Bilimale; University of Mysore political science professor Muzaffar Assadi; former backward classes commission chairman C S Dwarakanath; journalist Sarjoo Katkar and litterateur Ramakrishna Marathe.

The Veerashaiva and Lingayat camps, comprising leaders from the Congress, have been at loggerheads over the issue. The Veerashaiva group comprises veteran Congress leader Shamanur Shivashankarappa, his son and Horticulture Minister S S Mallikarjun and Municipalities Minister Eshwar B Khandre. They hold that Veerashaiva and Lingayat are the same and that the separate religion should be christened Veerashaiva-Lingayat. Veerashaivas say their religion predates 12th-century reformer Basavanna, revered as the founder of the Lingayat faith. Veerashaivas revere a pantheon of holy men.

The Lingayat camp, led by Water Resources Minister M B Patil, Mines and Geology Minister Vinay Kulkarni and Higher Education Minister Basavaraj Rayareddy, argues that Veerashaiva and Lingayat are radically different, and the religion must be called Lingayat. This group says it goes by the ideals of Basavanna.

BJP state chief B S Yeddyurappa said his party will side with the All India Veerashaiva Mahasabha, whereas JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda has accused the ruling Congress of creating a divide among Veerashaivas and Lingayats.

Comments

AK Shetty
 - 
Saturday, 23 Dec 2017

Shows how much religion screwed up modern Indians due to reservation menace. Time to abolish religion based, caste based reservation. Even Ramakrishna mutt tried to call itself a religion few decades ago (mainly for tax purpose I think)

Anonymous
 - 
Saturday, 23 Dec 2017

I think this demand as per constitution is correct . If anybody has reservation , then they should stash their personal opinions in their bags, and check laws first before making looser opinions. why not you idiots then oppose Jain , and Sikhs and Buddhists why to give biased opinions to Lingayats. Are you not biased? why not to strip off all minority status of Christian , Muslims, Jain and Sikhs then ? Correct laws and constitutions first then talk, and stop rubbish
I see lot of government land grab by "Jains" in name of educational institute in all over Karnataka ..anybody asked why they got that as minority benefits ..no ..why 2% percent people of state need 5% land of state to be grabbed ? this is OK and then if other people want to do in their way ...why is this ado ...

Mohan
 - 
Saturday, 23 Dec 2017

Yeah nice time to hit it.elections are just round the corner!!

Congi
 - 
Saturday, 23 Dec 2017

Vatican's Breaking-India mission smelling of success.

Chandan
 - 
Saturday, 23 Dec 2017

It's a internal matter of Kannadigas.

Ganesh
 - 
Saturday, 23 Dec 2017

Lingayat row should end conclude soon, otherwise it may affect in election also

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News Network
June 28,2020

Mangaluru, Jun 28: In an attempt to curb fast spreading Coronavirus and to bring discipline among the public to follow the guidelines and also as it was found difficult to control the visitors, the City Corporation Mayor Diwakar has ordered closure of the office for one week with immediate effect from Monday.

Public will be banned from entering the MCC building for a period of one week from Monday, he said.

In a circular the Mayor has requested the public to co-operate and help the administration to contain the spread of the coronavirus.

However, a help desk will be set up outside the MCC building where people can submit their applications and requests.

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Agencies
July 13,2020

Bengaluru, July 13: The Karnataka government today announced the cancellation of I PUC supplementary examinations across the state. 

Primary and Secondary Education minister S Suresh Kumar announced that the government took the decision in the wake of rising cases of Covid-19 and re-introduction of the lockdown. According to sources in the education department, as many as 60,000 students were supposed to appear for the examination.

Previously, the state government had decided to hold these exams at the college level in every district and publish the results by 30 July. However, the government has withdrawn even that arrangement and completely cancelled the exams. 

According to the minister, all the students who failed in the I PUC examination, shall also be promoted to II PUC. "The students who have attended all the subjects but unable to pass the exams will also be promoted to the next class," Suresh Kumar said.

However, those who missed out on the exams due to health reasons or failed in the examinations will be given a small test at the time of commencing classes for II PUC to assess their learning ability at the college level, according to the minister. "Only those students who missed out on the examination due to shortage of attendance will not be promoted to the next class," Suresh Kumar clarified.

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News Network
July 4,2020

Bengaluru: The Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC) examinations in Karnataka concluded on Friday with an overall average of about 98 per cent attendance amid the coronavirus scare. Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa congratulated the lakhs of students who appeared for the crucial exercise braving the coronavirus pandemic situation.

An average of about 98 per cent of 8.5 lakh odd enrolled students took the exams which began on June 25, after the government stuck to its decision to go ahead with them despite rising coronavirus cases but laid down a string of safety measures, including face masks and maintaining distancing by seating only one student a bench.

Examinations for all main subjects had been completed and alternative subjects such as music would take place on Saturday, Education department officials said.

"I heartily congratulate students who faced the examination even during the coronavirus pandemic," Mr Yediyurappa tweeted.

Expressing happiness over the successful completion of the examination, he greeted state Primary and Secondary Education Minister S Suresh Kumar, officers and employees of education department, health department, police and transport personnel.

"The exam is a proof that anything can be made possible if all the government departments work in tandem," Mr Kumar tweeted.

Later addressing a press conference, he said on Friday 98.10 per cent attendance was recorded compared to 98.76 for the same paper last year.

"Credit goes to children. First day, parents were scared and students were sceptical and there was a big challenge before us. But the children appearing for the exam instilled confidence. They came with masks, sanitisers and were careful about maintaining social distancing. Our children have set an example for others to follow," Mr Kumar said.

Lauding the students, parents and the government staff who made the exam possible ignoring the virus scare, Medical Education Minister Dr K Sudhakar said Karnataka has set an example by successfully conducting the examination.

The Karnataka Secondary Education Examination Board, which conducted the examination, faced various challenges. While protecting students from coronavirus infection was the top priority, transportation, security and convincing the parents to allow their children to take up the exam were the other factors it encountered.

According to sources in the department, the education officers had directed authorities of all the schools to call the parents and students to make sure that they appear for the examinations.

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and boards of various neighbouring states either gave general promotion or decided to give marks to the students based on their performance in the earlier tests conducted by the schools.

The exams were conducted at a time when there was a sudden spurt in coronavirus cases in Karnataka, especially Bengaluru. Expressing apprehension, former chief minister and JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy had appealed to the government to postpone the examination but the government went ahead with its decision.

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