Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (MS)

Mangaluru, Apr 1: SNGV (Sri Narayana Guru Vichara Vedike) state president Satyajit Suratkal stated that Billawas will support candidates of our society in the three Lok Sabha constituencies of Dakshina Kannada, Udupi-Chikkamagaluru, and Shivamogga to strengthen the Billawa community, as per the decision made in the SNGV meeting.

Addressing the press conference in the city on Monday, Satyajit said, “There are people of various communities in Team Satyajit Suratkal. It will continue as such. There will be no connection between that team and the work related to the Lok Sabha election. The team has expressed support for all my future works. That team will be involved in social activities in the coming days.

“A final decision was made at the meeting held last Friday. After many years, the society comprising Billava, Ediga, and Namadhari communities has secured representation in three Lok Sabha constituencies. We have more than 12 lac voters in the four constituencies of Dakshina Kannada, Udupi-Chikkamagaluru, Karwar, and Shivamogga. Our community is the majority. However, BJP has not given a chance to a candidate from our community in the past 33 years. Congress gave an opportunity to a candidate from the Bunt community after Janardhan Poojary lost four consecutive times.

“Since the establishment of SNGV, many protests have been held on issues like the Brahmarshee Narayana Guru tableau, textbook lessons, development corporation, Kantaraju report protest, and naming of the airport after Koti Chennayya and Bangarappa in Shivamogga. Due to these protests, our community has secured three seats. SNGV will work for the victory of Padmaraj R, Kota Srinivas Poojary, and Geeta Shivarajkumar, setting aside party affiliations. If these three candidates win, our society will benefit greatly. It is possible to uplift our community educationally and financially like other communities. So I will campaign in this regard in all three constituencies.

“The words of those who were with me, even when I did not receive value for my 37 years of effort for Hindutva and was discarded by the party, will be valued. Let them call me pro-Congress or pro-Billawa. I will not care for the criticisms that appear on social media. I will work towards the victory of Billawa candidates.

“The election campaign is held in the name of Team Satyajit Suratkal. Team Satyajit Suratkal was formed with the intention of politics. Even after BJP declared a ticket to Brijesh Chowta, our team members asked me to hold back, saying that they will ask the party to change their decision and give a ticket to me. However, it has been 20 days since the party declared the candidate, and no responsible announcement has been made in this connection. So I am independent to take any action in the present Lok Sabha elections. My team has made it clear that they do not have any objection to my decision.”

Shivu Hoogar, Shivamogga district organizing secretary, vice president K P Lingesh, Udupi taluk president Shashidhar M Amin, Udupi district president Jagannatha Kote, and Sandeep of the Mangaluru unit were present.

Responding to the query of scribes on why BJP has discarded him if he is such a big power, Satyajit said, “If Satyajit were a Brahmin, Lingayat, Vokkaliga, or Bunt, a chance would have been given. However, I was born in the Shudra society. So I was not aware that the Shudra community is limited only to serve and work like a slave. I grew up in poverty and worked for Hindutva and sangha. In BJP, there is an opportunity only for those who listen to what their leaders say and hold buckets. That kind of slave mentality is not in me. Koti Chennayya taught us to live with pride. I belong to their community. I directly say that due to caste and poverty, I have lost chances in BJP.”

Responding to the query of the opportunity given to Kota Srinivas Poojary in BJP, Satyajit said, “I am happy that in the Udupi-Chikkamagaluru constituency, BJP has given a ticket to the Billawa community. But have the scribes analyzed whether the Billawa community has got justice just by giving a ticket to Kota Srinivas Poojary? He was the MLC. That position can be attained through protest. He was the leader of the opposition of the legislative council. That is the next position after CM. Will our community get that position again? If the BJP wants to do justice to the Billawa community, there were leaders like B L Shankara Poojary, Geetanjali Suvarna, Shilpa Suvarna, Kiran Kumar, and Rajappa, who have worked honestly as zilla panchayat presidents in Udupi-Chikkamagaluru districts. They could have been given the party ticket. Satyajit speaks the truth, so the ticket was not given to him. That is okay. Kota belongs to the category of the kind of mentality which I spoke about. So he has got the ticket. By making him the Lok Sabha candidate, the BJP has made Billawas lose two positions. It is more injustice than justice.”

“It is really unfortunate that caste is the only criterion in today's politics. Hindutva is only for propaganda's sake. We have information that in the candidate selection meeting, it was said that BJP will lose in DK if the ticket is not given to a bunt community candidate. Yediyurappa says equality to everyone. Do the scribes have information as to which community has been given tickets in 25 constituencies? According to the Kantaraju report, the Lingayat community, which is around 60 lakh, has got seven candidates, five to six seats for the SCST community that has more than one crore voters. There are more than 200 castes in Hindu society. The Kuruba, Billawa, and Mogaveera community, which is around 70 lac, has got only three seats. Brahmins, who are just 15 lac, have got three seats. What kind of social justice is this? In Congress also, there is not much difference. However, the Hindutva of BJP means only Lingayat, Vokkaliga, and Bunts. BJP has to answer these questions,” said Satyajit.

Satyajit further accused, “There is no BJP in Karnataka right now. Till the legislative assembly elections, it was BLP means B L Santhosh Party. Now it is BSP means B S Yediyurappa party. Whoever identifies with him and hangs out with him is getting opportunities.

“We have to work to strengthen the other backward communities along with strengthening the Billava community. We have to take steps towards the real Hindutva where the least of the persons living in the society should live with self-respect. That is why we have to utilize the opportunity given to the community and work towards the victory of our community candidates.”

Agreeing that he is one of the reasons for Janardhan Poojary losing elections consecutively, Satyajit said, “During that time, we did not have this kind of social injustice thinking or idea. We believed that all communities would get justice. However, Hindutva slaughtered all of us and led to the end of Janardhan Poojary’s political career.”

“During Brahmakalasha, food is prepared in four places and served to four different categories of people. The MLA who got the position in the name of Hindutva is continuing discrimination like Pankti Bheda. These incidents are continuing in other temples also. Hindu society has to come out of the inequalities within the community than pointing fingers at outside forces,” concluded Satyajit.