Playing the religion card for a few votes

The Siddaramaiah government’s decision to accord minority religion tag for Lingayats may be a mere political gimmick and is unlikely to become a reality soon, but it could have a decisive impact on th

The Siddaramaiah government’s decision to accord minority religion tag for Lingayats may be a mere political gimmick and is unlikely to become a reality soon, but it could have a decisive impact on the outcome of the coming Assembly elections in Karnataka. At a time when the Congress seems to be losing more political ground, the party is game for any trick to retain Karnataka and Siddaramaiah is equally anxious to keep himself relevant both in the party and politics. But the move is a big gamble and the outcome could go either way.

On whether it’s a gamble worth taking, only time can tell. By some estimates, Lingayats constitute about 17 per cent of Karnataka’s population, making them one of the dominant communities, and by no means a minority group. They are influential enough to decide the fate of parties in at least 100 of 224 Assembly seats. And, in terms of politics, the community is said to be BJP’s biggest and staunchest support base.

By acceding to the long-pending demand from a section of Lingayats to be recognised as a separate religion and by making even Veerashaivas part of the move, Siddaramaiah has put BJP on the back foot and will be able to lure a chunk of their traditional vote bank that could give him the edge in what is expected to be a tight contest. However, he runs the risk of angering not only the other section of Lingayats but also other Hindu communities who may see it as an attempt to split the religion for political benefits. In that case, he could lose more than what he gains.

It’s pointless to look at the appropriateness of the decision and question its timing, given that it’s the outcome that matters and not the method used, but the tendency to toy with religious identities for no better reason than to grab a few extra votes does raise concern. Clashes broke out after the decision was taken. At a time when society is divided on many counts, the government’s job is to ensure peace, not to add to the divide and widen the scope for conflicts.

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