In Gujarat, 95% of those seeking to convert are Hindus; govt tries to prevent

March 16, 2016

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.

buildingThe 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 Light
 - 
Thursday, 17 Mar 2016

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

Mohammed SS
 - 
Thursday, 17 Mar 2016

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...

Rikaz
 - 
Wednesday, 16 Mar 2016

Are budhist hindus??? someone please clarify...

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News Network
March 10,2020

Bengaluru, Mar 10: Karnataka Health Minister B Sriramulu on Tuesday paid a surprise visit to the Kempegowda International Airport and checked all measures taken by authorities and doctors to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Till date, 45 people have tested positive for the deadly coronavirus infection across India.

A resident of Bengaluru was tested positive for coronavirus on Monday.

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News Network
February 21,2020

Bengaluru, Feb 21: The Supreme Court in its interim order on Thursday allowed the plea of the Karnataka government for implementation of the final award by a tribunal for sharing of water between Goa, Karnataka and Maharashtra from the Mahadayi river.

The interim order was passed by a bench comprising Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice Hemant Gupta after hearing the counsel from the three states. The bench said the final hearing in the matter will take place in July.

It also said the interim order is subject to the final outcome of the petitions filed by the three states against the tribunal's award.

The Mahadayi Water Dispute tribunal had passed the order on August 14, 2018, allocating 13.42 TMC ( Thousand Million Cubic Feet.) water (including 3.9 TMC for diversion into the depleted Malaprabha river basin) from the Mahadayi river basin to Karnataka.

Maharashtra was allotted 1.33 TMC water while Goa was given 24 TMC in the final decision of the tribunal. The UPA-2 government had constituted Mahadayi Water Disputes Tribunal in 2010.

Karnataka government, which has locked horns with the neighbouring Goa on the larger issue of sharing Mahadayi River water between both the states, had petitioned the tribunal seeking the release of 7.56 tmcft of water for the Kalasa-Banduri Nala project.

The Kalasa-Banduri Nala (diversion) project, which will utilise 7.56 tmcft of water from the inter-state Mahadayi river, is being undertaken by Karnataka to improve drinking water supply to the twin cities of Hubballi-Dharwad and the districts of Belagavi and Gadag.

It involves building barrages across Kalasa and Banduri, the tributaries of the Mahadayi River, to divert 7.56 tmc water to the Malaprabha river which fulfils the drinking water needs of the twin cities.

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News Network
April 10,2020

Bengaluru, Apr 10: A Karnataka BJP MP's daughter who recovered from COVID-19 has said she did yoga and ''pranayama'' while in hospital quarantine and these were key to defeating the pandemic.

"I was there in the hospital for 14 days. I used to do Yoga and Pranayama. It helps a lot. Everyone should start doing it now," said Ashwini GS, daughter of Davangere MP GM Siddeshwara.

In a video message that went viral on Thursday, she said coronavirus was "not something to be feared and yoga, pranayama and a strong mental state are the key to defeat the pandemic."

Ms Ashwini tested positive for COVID-19 after she had returned from Guyana last month. She was admitted to the SS Hospital in Davangere where she was quarantined for 14 days.

"Throughout my stay in the hospital I did not have any symptom of coronavirus. I neither sneezed, nor coughed or had a running nose. There was no fever either," Ms Ashwini said.

However, she kept herself physically and mentally fit.

"Maintain social distancing, be aware of dos and don'ts and stay safe," the MP's daughter said.

The AYUSH Ministry's protocol has outlined measures to build a strong immune system and it included consuming warm water, practising yogasana, pranayama and meditation for 30 minutes every day.

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