300 Dalits convert to Buddhism in Gujarat

Over 200 people from the Dalit community from Gujarat converted to Buddhism in three separate events organised by Buddhist organisations here on the occasion of Vijaya Dashmi, organisers said on Wednesday.

Another 90 from the state converted to Buddhism in Nagpur, taking the total to over 300 Dalits.

According to organisers, though conversions are carried out every year on Vijaya Dashmi, this year the numbers were high on account of the Una Dalit flogging incident.

“As many as 140 Dalits converted to Buddhism at an event organised by Gujarat Buddhist Society in Dani Limda locality of Ahmedabad yesterday to mark Vijaya Dashmi,” Ramesh Banker, a member of Gujarat Buddhist Academy, which organised the event here, said.

Sixty-five people from the community converted to Buddhism at a separate event organised in Kalol in Gandhinagar district, while 11 more converted in Wadhwan in Surendranagar district.

Some of them also embraced Buddhism at an event organised at Kalol. A total of 65 personsconverted at this event, P G Jyotikar of Buddhist Society of India, said.