Lingayat Recognition, India's Identity

🙏 India's Diverse Spiritual Heritage

• The land of India is not only the mother of Astika (Theistic), Nastika (Atheistic) , philosophical, and numerous religions, but also the cradle that nourishes foreign religions.
• Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, and countless religious movements were born on this soil and have maintained their existence.
• Buddhism, born in India out of compassion and kindness, flourished under royal patronage, but faced danger in India with the massacre of Bhikkhus9. It survived, grew strong in foreign lands, becoming dominant in the continent of Asia, and was later able to return to India.
• Sikhism, a vigorous Indian-born religion, emerged as the pioneer of a native system for the cultural protection of Mother India, adopting some contemporary necessary elements and the prayer style of foreign religions to rectify certain shortcomings in society. It gained its existence through immense sacrifices and confronting numerous conspiracies.
• The soil of India has given birth to the Arya Samaj, Brahma Samaj, Shivaji Maharaj, Bhakti movements, Dasa Parampare (devotional tradition), and thousands upon thousands of religious, spiritual, and social movements.
• Foreign-based religions like Christianity and Islam have also established a firm foothold in India and are continuing to grow.
• It is very clear that some of the difficult/evil practices and religious beliefs of this land have been the origin of a large number of philosophies and the nourishment of foreign religions.

🙏 Lingayat: A Native Indian System

• Lingavant ಲಿಂಗವಂತ (in spoken language), or Lingayat ಲಿಂಗಾಯತ (in scriptural language), is the beloved child of Mother India, born as a solution to the hierarchy of high and low among humans, conflicts, evils, intolerance, and other difficulties in the human community.
• It is a global religion that has immensely enhanced the pride of the Kannada language.
• Lingayat is the pure, native, communal philosophy centered on the well-being of all living beings, founded on the multi-faceted rationalism of Vishwaguru Basavanna.
• Lingayat, born in the vital core of Mother India, is a school of thought symbolizing humanity and pure knowledge.
• The Kalyana Revolution was a silent revolution that uprooted the evil conduct, such as the creation of untouchability among humans.
• The conventionalists instigated violence and hatched a conspiracy to suppress the righteous power, intending to extinguish the spark of knowledge, conduct, thought, and all-round revolution. However, the revolution of Basavakalyana earned the distinction of being the only revolution that was victorious without committing sabotage or initiating violence.
• The Lingayat religion remains immortal in history through the protection of Vachana literature.
• The Lingayat principles and philosophy are relevant to every peaceful, human-minded living being today.

🌟 Distinctive Features of Basavadi Sharanas' Lingayat

• Lingayat (Ling + Aayata = Lingavanta/Lingayat) is one who voluntarily incorporates (Aayata) the Ishtalinga, which is the symbol of the formless, attributeless God.
• It is a purely Astika (Theistic) religion that holds immense faith in the Creator (Administrator of creation, sustenance, and dissolution) God.
• The Lingayat religion is a purely scientific thought and conduct, a practical form that rejects blind faith, meaningless rituals, worship of deities, and the concepts of heaven and hell, which are often merged with the idea of God.
• The Lingayat principle grants fearlessness, instilling self-confidence and self-respect by freeing one from the fear of the five elements, deities, hardships, and losses.
• Lingayat is the father of democracy, which provided a platform (Anubhava Mantapa) for collective thinking, community management, and individual conduct and thought.
• The Vachana is the record of thousand-faced knowledge and its perfection.
• Lingayat is the first philosophy that re-created humanity by eliminating the denigration of women, who are an equal part of creation.
• Basavanna identified himself with the poor and the downtrodden ("Our father is Madara Channayya...").
• They embraced all types of productive workers (Kayaka Jeevi).
• He was a prophet who eradicated laziness, dependency, dishonest earnings, deception, and other immoralities.
• The Kalyana Revolution took place for the protection of compassion against the enemies of humanity.
• The Anubhava Mantapa created a community of Sharanas proficient not only in expertise but also in research across countless disciplines: Science, Art, Literature, Economics, Geography, Music, Dance, Humor, Biology, Medicine, Technology, Spirituality, and many others.
• The constitutional body, Mumbai University, has recognized Ashtavarana, Panchachara, Shatsthala, Vachana Sahitya, Anubhava Mantapa, Kayaka Dasoha, etc., as entirely new discoveries.
• It has also recommended the religion for recognition.
• Lingayat followers, having inherited unique practices through generations, are a living community that has internalized practices like the true practice of Kayaka Dasoha (work and service), naming children after Basavanna, Akkamahadevi, and other Sharanas in every family, mandatory wearing of Vibhuti (holy ash) on the forehead, daily Ishtalinga Puja (worship), and compulsory initiation (Deekshe).

❓ The Question of Recognition

• The survival and growth of the Lingayat religion, born from the very foundation of Indian soil, is indeed the pride of Mother India and complementary to Nationalism.
• Is it not a great blunder that the Lingayat religion, a scientific, native culture of global humanity, is not properly introduced even within India?
• If the principles of the Lingayat religion are introduced to the neighboring states, whose loss is it?
• Is the unique existence of Lingayats in 4-5 South Indian states a matter of Mother India's distinction or her glory?
• This very issue is the biggest question facing Lingayats today—a hundred percent truth.
• The conspiracies to oppose the recognition of Lingayat, which introduces the proud identity of Mother India, are an injustice to whom? What kind of threat does the recognition of Lingayat pose to India's nationalism?
• Is it a mistake of Lingayats to be born, live, grow, and pass away (Linga Aikya) in the Indian nation? Should not the concept of nationalism in a democratic nation grant such a right to a community?
• Why are the boulders of danger being hurled at Lingayat? Is seeking an answer a crime?
• The conspiracy, opposition, and scheming against Lingayat recognition are an act of treason not only against humanity/the Constitution but also against the Indian Nation!
• Is it realistically possible in today's aware Lingayat community and democratic system to suppress the Lingayat principles and philosophies that survived the containment of cunning plots during monarchical rule?
• The conspiracy, opposition, and scheming against Lingayat recognition will definitely lead to failure, and the beloved Lingayat of Mother India will undoubtedly enlighten the world.
• The right way forward is for Lingayats to come out of baseless illusion and advance.