Karnataka - Udupi   

5,000 Dalits to embrace Buddhism on October 30

Udupi: Convener of the State unit of Karnataka Dalit Sangharsha Samiti (Amedkar Vada) Mavalli Shankar said on Sunday that nearly 5,000 Dalits will participate in the “Buddha Dharma Deeksha Samarambha” and embrace Buddhism at the Ambedkar Bhavan in Bangalore on October 30.

Addressing presspersons here, Mr. Shankar said that similar samarambhas would be held in other districts of the State later on. The samiti would take the message of the Buddha to the villages under its “Buddhanedege, marali manege” programme. “Religious conversion is a Constitutional right and Pejawar swamiji cannot stop people from embracing the religions of their choice,” he said.

Mr. Shankar said that instead of protecting the churches and prayer halls from attacks, Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa was keen to take action against forced conversions in the State. He should first stop the attacks. He said that some Hindu seers had recently staged a protest in Bangalore against the alleged threat to Hindu religion owing to conversions. These seers should realise that Dalits were still the targets of atrocities by other castes. “Untouchability is still prevalent in the Hindu society,” he said. Mr. Shankar said that some Hindu seers were alleging that inducements, including financial assistance, were being offered for conversion. It was no secret that some maths had a following in foreign countries and received donations from there. Nobody prevented the seers from converting people to Hinduism. Conversion was not as simplistic as the seers were presenting it to be.The seers should introspect themselves on why people are getting converted,” he said. Mr. Yeddyurappa had failed to deliver what he promised.

The Bharatiya Janata Party Government had given a 700-acre plot to the Ramachandrapur Math, but it did not have any land for landless Dalits in the State. The Government had waived the loans of farmers but not the Rs. 400-crore worth loans availed by poor Dalits from Ambedkar Corporation. The condition of Dalit hostels was pathetic but Mr. Yeddyurappa had not provided more funds for their improvement, he said.

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