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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Agencies
February 26,2020

New Delhi, Feb 26: The death toll in northeast Delhi communal violence over the amended citizenship law rose to 20 on Wednesday, according to GTB Hospital authorities.

On Tuesday, the death toll was 13.

"The death toll has risen to 20 today," Medical Superintendent of GTB Hospital, Sunil Kumar, told PTI.

Earlier, at least four bodies were brought to the Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital from the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital, a senior official said.

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News Network
March 8,2020

Bengaluru, Mar 8: Lieutenant General Milind Hemant Thakur, Director-General of Supply and Transport Corps of the Indian Army, unveiled the renovated Animal Memorial at Agram Grounds in ASC Centre and College here on Saturday.

The animal memorial signifies the contributions of mules and horses of the Indian Army. These animals belonging to the Army Service Corps, who have rendered their services relentlessly during the war in the Himalayas, often paying the highest price of sacrificing their lives in the line of duty have been chronicled in the Memorial.

To ensure that these hoof prints do not get obliterated, on approval by the Government of India, their saga was brought to life in the form of a sculptured monument in the Equestrian Training Area of the ASC Centre and College.

This animal transport memorial has now been extended by constructing two walls supported by Roman pillars on either side.

These walls highlight the role played by the animals in the Indian Army since the British Raj. It gives details of 637 gallantry awards won by the brave muleteers, 49 battle casualties since independence, 14 gallantry awards to mules since independence and 05 military recognitions bestowed by the Chief of the Army Staff and other Army Commanders on AT units, who have been relied upon heavily to fill an important niche in the logistics networks of the Indian Army.

Gen Thakur also declared that 26 September each year has been nominated as the AT Remembrance Day as it was on this day in 1914, that 9th mule Corps, as part of the Indian Expeditionary Force, landed at Marseilles in France, to a most hearty and enthusiastic welcome by the French to support the British and allied armies in World War One.

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News Network
February 29,2020

Mysuru, Feb 29: More than 7,000 industrialists and entrepreneurs have left the country due to a deficit of trust, and incidents like the violence that rocked northeast Delhi will only affect the economy further, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, founder of Art of Living Foundation, said on Friday.

Sri Sri was speaking at a corporate wellness conference on the theme, 'Wellness and Wellbeing for a Progressive Nation', hosted by CII in Mysuru. He said an atmosphere of fear and mistrust pervades the country and does not augur well for the economy.

"Bankers, too, are suspicious of everyone and not extending loans to industrialists. This has posed lots of problems," he said. "This attitude among bank officials should go as life depends on trust. When there is a deficiency of trust, there is a possibility of the economy slowing down," Sri Sri added

He said society is now facing two important issues - aggression and depression. "Some people stage protests and pelt stones which happened recently in Delhi. This is really unfortunate," he said, adding, "Fear lurks in the nation's capital, which is being used by many to create terror. This will affect the economy. No country will prosper without peace."

Wellness is the need of the hour, he said, adding, "Corporates used to spend half their health to gain wealth and spend half their wealth to regain their health. This isn't good economics. We have to talk and convince people to invest in wellness."

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