Pontiffs oppose removal of ‘Veerashaiva’ word in textbooks

Bengaluru: The All India Veerashaiva Shivacharya Organization announced on Saturday that they will be taking legal action against the exclusion of the term ‘Veerashaiva’ from the introduction chapter about Basavanna in the 9th class social science textbook of the state curriculum.

The organization argues that by removing the term ‘Veerashaiva’, the state government has tarnished the history and legacy of true Veerashaiva Basaveshwara. Over thirty Swamijis, including Mahantalinga Shivacharya, Virupaksha Shivacharya, Sugureshwar, Prabhu Sarangadeva, Namadeva, Rudramuni Shivacharya, Kailasalinga, and Chandrasekhara Shivacharya, have accused the government of betrayal.

During former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s tenure, a textbook revision committee chaired by Sahitya Baraguru Ramachandrappa stated that ‘Veerashaiva doctrine was popularized by Basaveshwara and he received lingadiksha and meditation in the presence of Shaiva gurus’. However, they now claim that this statement has been replaced.

The removal of the word ‘Veerashaiva’ is deemed incorrect. Researcher M.M. has pointed out that more than thirty Sivasharans, including Basavanna, used the term ‘Veerashaiva’ 221 times in their 142 vachanas published in Kalaburagi’s comprehensive vachana volume. In contrast, only 21 instances use the term ‘Lingayat’ out of ten vachanas. It is important to note that Basavanna himself did not use the word ‘Lingayat’ even once. The Swamijis demand an immediate correction to this distorted teaching from the government.