Gndhinagar, May 16: In five years, the state government received 1,838 applications from people of various religions to convert to another religion. Of them, 1,735 applications (94.4%) were filed by Hindus who wanted to renounce the religion of their birth to embrace some other creed.
The state's anti-conversion law - Gujarat Freedom of Religion Act mandates that a citizen obtain prior approval from the district authority for conversion. The state government has not approved half of these applicants, only 878 persons got permission to convert.
Apart from 1,735 Hindus, 57 Muslims, 42 Christians and 4 Parsis have applied for permission to convert. No one from the Sikh or Buddhist religions have sought such permission. Experts believe that marriage is the reason for some applicants, to convert to the religion of their spouse.
Applications received from Hindus were slightly higher than the proportion of the Hindu population in the state. These applications were received mainly from Surat, Rajkot, Porbandar, Ahmedabad, Jamnagar and Junagadh. Still, experts believe the administration does not take all applications on record. Gujarat Dalit Sangathan's president Jayant Mankandia said, "If government records reveal only 1,735 applications from Hindus, it is clear that the authorities do not take all applications on record. The figure of Hindu applicants would have been nearly 50,000, if the correct data was presented." He cited a programme in Junagadh a couple of years ago, where nearly one lakh persons from dalit communities took diksha into Buddhism.
Mankadia further said, "During such conversion programmes, we collect applications for conversion and submit them to the concerned district collector. Unfortunately, our volunteers do not follow up and ascertain if these applications are entertained by authorities."
For former national fellow of Indian Council of Social Science Research, Ghanshyam Shah, the question is "who among the Hindus want to convert?" He believes, "There is dissatisfaction among dalits and other suppressed classes and some of them convert to Buddhism. But Census data does not reveal this due to mistakes by enumerators. My hunch is that enumerators on their own mention 'Hindu' as the religion of such newly converted Buddhists. The government does not have any issue with conversion to Buddhism. But there will be a hue and cry, if people embrace Christianity."
According to Vishwa Hindu Parishad general secretary Ranchhod Bharwad, conversion activity is the handiwork of anti-national elements.
"Such people don't have any right to live in this country because they convert people by temptation and pressure. Even Buddhists have lured Hindus to convert to their fold in Junagadh."
Comments
Divine religion never need any FORCE,
If U recognize YOUR LORD who created U.
U will never need any military rule or Deception or LIES.
Divine religion will spread all over the WORLD even if the enemies try to demonize thru their LIES, FALSE Medias, and other Propaganda. In the end after trying to Demonize divine religion thru their Power, Finance, Weapons,false propaganda, arrogance against innocent,,,,they will bite the Dust. (They will never succeed)
Please dont join to fight the divine religion... If U are supporting those AGGRESSORS who are alwz caught in Trouble mongering(Cheddi gang) , then READ QURAN first, and if U are not satisfied with what the LORD speaks to U (No intermediate) directly, Then Join fight with them & U will surely See what QURAN spoke was the TRUTH.
Without TRUE knowledge of QURAN dont fight by falling TRAP to the enemies DECEPTION
Many of Muslims dying every day in the name of Jihad, even though Islam is spreading all over the world, I hope the day is not very far as per the words of Allah everywhere we can find majority of Muslims....AAmeen...
Are budhist hindus??? someone please clarify...
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