100,000 Dalits to take mass conversion to Buddhism

Mangalore Today News Network

Bareilly, June 07, 2017: In protest against alleged atrocities on Dalits in Shabbirpur village of Saharanpur, a Dalit social outfit, Jai Sindhu Sangh, is all set to hold a mass congregation for converting to Buddhism in the adjacent district of Muzaffarnagar on June 14.

To increase the community’s attendance at the event, the organization has stepped up its publicity drive from pamphlet distribution to social media and has aimed at a target of more than 100,000 attendees.

District secretary general of JSS Puran Singh Boddh told media that all preparations were on the verge of being completed. Deepak Kumar, president of the Deoband unit of Bhim Army, who is also associated with JSS, said considerable interest has been shown by Dalits in the event. The administration called the event unauthorised and said prohibitory orders were already in place in Muzaffarnagar.

Muzaffarnagar officials said they were unaware about the pamphlets circulated by the Dalit outfit to hold a mass congregation at the cattle market ground in Rathedi village of the district.

District magistrate of Muzaffarnagar, Gauri Shankar Priyadarshi, siad, “I have read the pamphlets but nobody approached so far to hold any religious congregation in the district. Sometimes, organizers approach the sub-divisional magistrate or police officials of the area. But as prohibitory orders are already in place here, no such gathering will be allowed.”

Puran Singh told media “Not only in Saharanpur, it has been a trend across the country of humiliating Dalits since new governments took charge in state and the Centre. Though earlier incidents of atrocities on Dalits took place, they were not at such extent that we are facing now. Everyone has seen what happened in Shabbirpur. Police and administration are taking action against the Dalits only and being partial. In protest against such incidents, over one lakh Dalits will gather in Rathedi village on June 14 to embrace Buddhism.”

The pamphlet carries three contact numbers. One of them is of Deepak Kumar, Bhim Army president of Deoband unit. He said, “My phone has been ringing non-stop since my number was published by JSS. Even today I received calls from Punjab to Tamil Nadu. A southern India based Dalit outfit offered to take part in the congregation with hundreds of its supporters on June 14. Though I have been in touch with the president of JSS, Amit Gautam, he didn’t take my consent before publishing my number on pamphlets.”

Despite repeated attempts, Amit Gautam was not available for comment.

The pamphlet and JSS came to light on June 3 after the outfit held a camp in Shukratal, a religious place located on the bank of river Saloni, in Muzaffarngar district. Placards saying ‘Donate for Saharanpur victims’ were also placed there with two donation boxes. Before the police removed the camp, hundreds of pamphlets had been circulated.