Bengaluru: While the government plans to announce in anti-conversion law to curb what he called “illegal religious conversion”, Akhila Bharatha Veerashaiva Mahasabha, decision-making agency over the veerashaiva-linglayat community, plans to launch ‘Ghar Drive Wapsi.
This step has raised eyebrows since the community, with 56 MLA including the Minister of Chief Justice of the Bubavaraj Bommai, very strong.
The community also formed most of the population even though the numbers were definitely not available.
While Mahasabha claimed it became 24% of the 6.5 crore population in the state, the number of leaking from HK Kanharaju Commissiport Reports placed it around 10%.
However, some BJP legislators claim Christian missionaries pamper religious repentance and mainly target people from economic backgrounds economically, including Dalits.
GooSihatik Shekhar, Hosadurga MLA, even raised this problem with the recent legislative committee and ensured the survey of unauthorized churches allegedly involved in a forced conversion.
“It might surprise some, but it is the fact that part of the veerashaiva-lingayat community becomes vulnerable to religious conversion statues,” said BS Sachidananan Murthy, Vice President Mahasabha.
“Even though the community is significant in terms of influence and political population, most of which are poverty that is hit by poverty.
This is exploited by those involved in repentance.” Murthy claimed “reports” from the district, including Davanagere, Dhrawad, Gadag, Chamarajnagar, MySuru, KOPPLA Raichur, shows “around one lakh lingayat that has been converted to Christianity”.
He did not provide evidence for a surprising figure or suggested in the period what the conversion occurred.
He said the ‘Ghar Wapsi’ drive was intended to bring these people back to his folds.
Mahasabha has issued a circular to district units and taluks throughout the state, instructing them to survey households to track lingayats that have converted other beliefs.
It also asks local units to set the “Reconsulation” event with the help of local mutt.
Representatives from Mahasabha said this problem would be discussed during the next meeting on December 23.
“We will collect data from the district and then decide on the drive modality,” said Shamanur Shivashankarappa, President Mahasabha.
However, the move is Merwid Cemooh from the part of the community that encourages separate religious status for lingayats.
“Veerashaiva Mahasabha’s decision raises many questions and comes when we want to revive the religious movement of Lingayat,” said GB Patil, Secretary General of Jagathika Lingayat Mahasabha.
“They can use this to claim lingayats are an integral part of Hinduism, but it’s not true.”