Karnataka caste survey: Veerashaiva Mahasabha urges Lingayats to register as ‘separate religion’

Caste survey

All India Veerashaiva Mahasabha has urged Lingayats to register their religion as 'Veerashaiva Lingayat' under the ‘others’ column in the socio-educational survey beginning September 22.

At a press conference on Sunday, Mahasabha general secretary and Karnataka forest minister Eshwar B Khandre said: “Everyone must take part in the survey. In the religion column, mark Veerashaiva Lingayat under ‘others.’ For caste, mention Veerashaiva, Lingayat or Veerashaiva Lingayat. Sub-castes should be entered after checking the serial numbers.”

He stressed that caste certificates used for reservations will remain separate, but urged people to register their 'actual caste' so community numbers are correctly reflected.

The religion column has 11 entries, including Hindu, Islam, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist, Parsi and Atheist. The previous 2015 Kantharaj survey faced criticism from Lingayats and Vokkaligas for being 'unscientific' and undercounting their numbers. Based on its findings, the Hegde Commission estimated Lingayats at 66.35 lakh, but the state scrapped the report in June.

The call comes as the Congress-led state government, pushed by All India Congress Committee, models the census on Telangana’s SEEEPC (socio-economic, education, employment, political and caste) survey. Political observers say if Lingayats heed the Mahasabha’s appeal, it could reduce the Hindu count and potentially erode the BJP’s core vote base.

Retired IPS officer and Mahasabha state president Shankar Bidari said earlier surveys treated Veerashaivas and Lingayats as one caste, overlooking internal categories such as backward, very backward and extremely backward.

The demand for a separate Lingayat religion, which gained prominence ahead of the 2018 polls, remains contentious. While Akhila Bharatha Veerashaiva Mahasabha has pushed for a separate religion code, Jagathika Lingayat Mahasabha in 2017 demanded recognition of 'Lingayat' as a distinct religion. Though listed under OBC Category 3B, Veerashaiva-Lingayats remain one of Karnataka’s most influential communities.