Thirty-one Dalits, including 12 women and 19 men, from various parts of Gujarat shunned Hinduism and embraced Buddhism at a function held in Palanpur of Banaskantha district Sunday. The converts belonged from the four districts of Banaskantha, Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, and Mehsana. "All of them belonged to the Scheduled Castes. Bhante Pragna Ratna Thero from Porbandar gave Dhamma dixa to the 31 people," said Ramesh Banker, secretary of Gujarat Buddhist Academy, which was organised the event in association with Budhha Dhamma Dixa Samiti Banaskantha. This is the first such conversion event in the state after a recent circular from the Gujarat government clarified that Buddhism has to be considered a separate religion and any conversion from Hinduism to Buddhism requires prior approval of the district magistrate under the provisions of the Gujarat Freedom of Religion Act. The circular, issued by the state Home department on April 8, had also clarified that similar prior approvals of the district magistrate are necessary for conversion from Hinduism to Jainism and Sikhism. “Procedures according to the prevailing law for religious conversions were followed in toto,” Banker added, saying that they have been following the procedure even before the government circular of April 8.
