Conversion: No Dalai Lama, but Deshmukh attends

Over a hundred thousand tribals and Dalits embraced Buddhism in a massive gathering at the Race Course grounds here on Sunday.

Over a hundred thousand tribals and Dalits embraced Buddhism in a massive gathering at the Race Course grounds here on Sunday. In the golden jubilee year of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar’s conversion to Buddhism, the conversions were held in a rally, which the police estimated to be around five lakh strong.

The conversions were lead by nomadic tribal writer and former legislator Lakshman Mane, who is known for his book Upara (Outsider) and other leaders like Eknath Awhad. Mane had himself converted to Buddhism in October 2006 at the Deekshabhoomi in Nagpur where Ambedkar had embraced Buddhism in 1956.

Mane observed how the nomadic and scheduled tribes had to bear the brunt of the caste system. “In the 60 years since Independence, we have not even managed to produce a single junior level revenue officer from the community, leave alone an IAS or IPS officer. The rate of education in the nomadic tribes is a dismal 0.6 per cent, a matter of shame for the state and Central governments,” he said. Mane said that marital intermingling among all castes was the only way to destroy the caste system.

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However, the Dalai Lama, who was supposed to preside over the function, was unable to attend. RPI MP Ramdas Athavale administered a 22-point oath to the crowd.

Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, who was present on the occasion, said the Government would sanction Rs 50 crore for the development of Ambedkar’s memorial at Chaityabhoomi in Dadar. The state had already given Rs 10 crore to the BMC, he said, adding that the state would also ask the Centre to declare the Chaityabhoomi as a national memorial.

Deputy Chief Minister R R Patil said adopting the teachings of the Buddha was the only way to prevent wars and destruction. Patil said that despite Ambedkar giving a call to the Hindu clergy in 1935 to give Dalits equal rights, there had been no response, forcing him to convert to Buddhism.

Bhadant Rahul Bodhi Mahathero, working president of the Bouddha Dhammadiksha Suvarna Mahotsava Samiti, which organised the ceremony, said over a lakh people from 42 nomadic tribes and other backward communities, converted today. Some of them were from Gujarat and Karnataka.