Madurai: After Karnataka granted minority status to ‘Lingayat’ community, the followers of Thiruvarutprakasa Vallalar Chidambaram Ramalingam Swamigal made a recommendation to higher authorities, seeking a separate religion tag for their ideolgies.

Followers APJ Arul, Sasangan and eleven others sent a representation to the state’s chief secretary, Hindu religious and charitable endowment secretary and CM cell secretary, asking them to give their community new status.

Vallalar, born on October, 1823 attained ‘immortality’ on January 30, 1874. His unique principles extolled, above all, love of fellow beings and equality (Samarasa Sutha Sanmarkam) among people. Vallalar wanted to do away with caste and religious systems and introduced a separate flag, drafted rules and songs to propagate his doctrines.

He was an ardent exponent of vegetarian food and developed doctrines that talked highly of attaining immortality. The government should take steps to give religious status to Vallalar’s principles, they stated in the representation.

Various organisations following Vallalar principles in Trichy and Madurai held a meeting on Saturday evening in Madurai. Karunai Sabai Salai’s APJ Arul-Ramalakshmi, Vallalar Mandram Sasangan, Karunai Sabai’s A G Chandramohan, Valluvar Vallalar Mandram’s M Ravichandran, Sanmarka Sangam’s T R Jawaharlal and others took part.