Hundreds of Hindus, mostly from the Dalit community, renounced their faith and adopted Buddhism at a ceremony organised by the Gujarat Buddhist Academy on the occasion of Dussehra in Ahmedabad on Tuesday. This was the 14th consecutive year that the academy held such an event on the day that celebrates the victory of good over evil in Hindu mythology.
The event, which was presided over by Bhadant Pragyasheel Mahathero, a Buddhist monk from Amravati, Maharashtra, witnessed the participation of individuals and families from various districts of Gujarat, including Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Vadodara, Mehsana, Surendranagar and Botad. The participants underwent a deeksha or initiation ritual, where they recited the three refuges and the five precepts of Buddhism and received a certificate of conversion.
The main reason cited by most of the converts for their decision was the rampant discrimination and oppression faced by them in Hindu society, especially by the upper castes. They also expressed their admiration for the teachings of Buddha, which emphasise equality, compassion and non-violence.
Pravinbhai Parmar, a 38-year-old school teacher from Vadodara, who converted along with his wife and two daughters, said that he had been associated with the academy since 2013 and had gradually learned more about Buddhism. “There is nothing good for us in Hinduism, where there is inequality and injustice everywhere. We are treated as untouchables and subjected to atrocities every day. Buddhism gives us dignity and respect. It teaches us to love ourselves and others,” he said.
Ashwini Kumar Solanki, a 22-year-old youth from Randheja in Gandhinagar district, said that his entire family of six members took deeksha on Tuesday. He said that his father had been following Buddhism since 2004 and had inspired him and his siblings to do the same. “My father told us about the life and teachings of Buddha and how he renounced his royal privileges to seek the truth. He also told us about Dr B R Ambedkar, who led the mass conversion of Dalits to Buddhism in 1956. We were convinced that Buddhism is the only way to liberate ourselves from the shackles of casteism,” he said.
However, not all the converts had the support of their families. R K Jadav, a 71-year-old retired government employee from Chandkheda in Ahmedabad, said that he was the only one from his family who took deeksha on Tuesday. He said that his family members also believed in Buddhism but were hesitant to change their religion officially. “I decided to take this step first and then persuade them to follow me. I have been reading books on Buddhism for many years and I have found peace and happiness in its philosophy. I don’t want to die as a Hindu,” he said.
According to Ramesh Bankar, the secretary of Gujarat Buddhist Academy, the organisation has been conducting deeksha events since 2010 and has converted more than 10,000 Hindus to Buddhism so far. He said that the academy also provides various services to the Buddhist community in Gujarat, such as education, health care, legal aid and cultural activities.
He said that the academy had received 418 applications for conversion from Hindus a month ago and had submitted them to the collector’s office for approval. He said that nearly 90 per cent of them were present at the event on Tuesday.
He also said that the academy follows the guidelines laid down by the Supreme Court for religious conversions and does not indulge in any coercion or inducement. He said that all the converts are well-informed about their rights and responsibilities as Buddhists and are free to choose their sects within Buddhism.
He added that Dussehra was chosen as the day for deeksha because it coincides with Ashoka Vijaya Dashami, which marks the anniversary of Emperor Ashoka’s conversion to Buddhism after witnessing the horrors of war at Kalinga. He said that Ashoka was one of the greatest patrons of Buddhism in India and had spread its message across Asia through his edicts and missions.
He expressed his hope that more and more people would join Buddhism in Gujarat and other parts of India in the future and make it a force for social transformation and harmony. He said that Buddhism is not just a religion but a way of life that can bring peace and happiness to oneself and others.
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