Petitions
The All-India-Lingayat-Unity-League
20 January 1947.
The President of the All-India Lingayat Unity League, based in Ranebennur, Dharwar district, and Hyderabad-Deccan, wrote to Rajendra Prasad, President of the Constituent Assembly, on 20 January 1947, marked urgent. The League’s office-bearers included a retired Collector, a dental surgeon trained in Vienna, and a High Court vakil.
The League argued that the Lingayats were a distinct community of ten million, separate from the fourfold caste Hindus, and a martial race with a long history. Yet they had no representation in the Central Executive (Interim Government) or in the Constituent Assembly, while smaller communities like Christians, Sikhs, Parsis, and Anglo-Indians were all represented. The League asked for at least some representation on the Advisory Committee on fundamental rights and minority safeguards that the Assembly was about to set up, arguing that the Committee required proportionate representation of all communities on a population basis.
The letter is brief and formal, asking not for full but for due representation, and closing with a request to be informed of whatever action was taken.
dt. 28./47
The All-India-Lingayat-Unity-League
OFFICES
RANEBINNUR, DIST. DHARWAR
and
(HYDERABAD-Deccan.)
Date 20th January 1947.
PRESIDENT:
[unclear]EYAR[unclear], ESQ., L.A[unclear]., B.C.S., RETD. COLLECTOR,
RANED[unclear]INNUR, DISTRICT DHARWAR.
VICE-PRESIDENT:
[unclear] NAIK, I.D.S., (VIENNA UNIV.)
DENTAL SURGEON, HYDERABAD-DECCAN.
Hon. SECRETARies
HANDGE, B.A., LL.B.,
HIGH COURT VAKIL, HYDERABAD-DECCAN.
& others.
Urgent please
No 725/46-47
To
Dr Rajendra Prasad,
President of The Constituent Assemby,
Vital Session, New Delhi.
Sir,
I, on behalf of the All-India Lingayat-Unity-League, have the honour to submit the following representation of the Lingayat Community which is an important minority Community in India & a major Community in the Karnatak for favour of its consideration in the present Vital Session of the Constituent Assembly to safeguard its interests, while setting up an Advisory Committee on the fundamental rights of minority safe-guards, &c.
The Lingayats, being quite distinct from the four-fold Caste Hindus, form a population of ten millions of Souls and are a martial race of history behind them.
This Community has no representation in the Central Executive Interim Govenment nor in the Constituent Assembly, while all other minor communities like Christians, Sikhs, Parsis, Anglo-Indians, &c, are fully represented therein.
As the Advisory Committee of the Constituent Assembly shall decide as to the ultimate responsibility for the safe-guards of minorities, that Committee requires to have proportionate representation of all the Communities ac-cording to their population basis.
The Lingayats, therefore, by an appeal to reason, ask at least for their due representation, though not for full representation in the minorities’ Advisory Committee to be formed by the C.A.
It is a just & necessary demand that may please be granted & I may kindly be informed of the action taken in the matter.”
I have the honour to be,
Sir
Yours most obediently,
[signature]
President, The All-India-Lingayat-
Unity-League-