Why Lingayats matter in Karnataka

"Kayakave Kailasa". This in Kannada means "Work is Heaven" . It formed the central message of the great 12th century philosopher, statesman and Kannada poet Basaveshwara, or Basava, whose birth anniversary or Jayanti was celebrated in India and even  in London by the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday, April 18.  

Wondering if there was a risk of missing this key message of the guru, a leading business leader from Karnataka's Lingayat community, preferring not to be identified, says what is getting more apparent is that this community matters even more today and could play a key role in swinging the votes in the state elections now.

The business leader says, Basava was really about "work ethic" and there were good reasons why this community has produced many business leaders, people running important educational institutions in Karnataka and quite a few involved in trading. They also form a significant part of the state's population.

One industrialist from the Lingayat community pointed out that they formed over 15 per cent of the state's population and run over 50 per cent of the educational institutions in the state. Others within the industry also point out that Lingayats are an enlightened community with relatively high literacy rates and form an economic force.

For instance, in North Karnataka, a lot of medical colleges are run by them and it's the same in Gulbarga, Belgaum, Mysore, Shimoga, Bidar and Raichur, among others. Therefore, the Lingayat community is economically stable and financially strong.