The row over textbook revision has now started evoking micro-level responses. The Akhila Bharata Veerashaiva Shivacharyara Samsthe, an organisation that represents a section of Veershaiva seers, on Sunday said that it would have been better if the revised lesson on 12th century social reformer Basavanna had said that he had “propagated” Veerashaiva religion instead of saying that he “developed” the religion.
At the same time, the samsthe expressed its concurrence for what it called “blending of Basavanna with Veershaiva religion” in the Class IX Social Science textbook.
In a letter to Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on behalf of the samsthe, Mahanthalinga Shivacharya, seer of Shreemadhvibhutipura Veerasimhasana Mutt, Bengaluru, described as “half truth” the lines in the revised lesson that said: “Basavanna achieved dhyana (meditation) by getting Linga deekshe (religious anointment) by the Shaiva guru”.
