Ahmedabad: Gujarat government said it considers Buddhism, Sikhism and Jainism “a separate religion” from Hinduism and has asked Hindu’s seeking to convert to any these three to seek permission of the concerned district magistrate under the Gujarat Freedom of Religion Act, 2003.
Gujarat Home department issued the circular, signed by its Deputy Secretary Vijay Badheka, after it found that applications seeking conversion to Buddhism were not being dealt with as per the rules.
Several Dalit Hindus in Gujarat convert to Buddhism at mass events every year.
According to the circular, the Home Ministry noticed that district magistrate offices are “arbitrarily interpreting” the Gujarat’s Religion Act.
“…it has come to notice that in applications seeking permission for conversion from Hinduism to Buddhism, procedure as per rules are not being followed. Moreover, sometimes, representations are being received from applicants and autonomous bodies that for religious conversion from Hinduism to Buddhism, prior permission is not required,” the circular read.
It also said that in cases where applications for prior permission of conversion were filed, the offices disposed them while stating that “under Article 25(2) of the Constitution, Sikhism, Jainism and Buddhism are included within Hinduism and so the applicant is not required to take permission for (such) religious conversion”.
The circular further stated that replying on “sensitive subject like religious conversion without sufficient study of legal provisions” may turn into judicial litigations.
Invoking the Gujarat Freedom of Religion Act, 2003, the circular said that a person converting/or getting another person converted from Hinduism to Budhhism, Sikhism or Jainism will have to take prior permission of the district magistrate in a prescribed format.
The move has been welcomed by the Gujarat Buddhist Academy (GBA), a prominent organisations that hosts conversion events in the state.
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