In Karnataka, the Lingayats are fighting a battle to get the status of a separate religious community. They claim that the religion of the followers of 12th century philosopher Basavanna should be recognised as Lingayatism.
The Jagatika Lingayat Mahasabha (JLM) – the organisation behind the massive Lingayat movement backed by intellectuals and Lingayat sect gurus – argues that they reject the very ethos on which Hinduism is built.
