NEWS

1,500 Dalits Convert to Buddhism Seeking Social Equality

By Justin Whitaker | | Buddhistdoor Global

Some 1,500 Dalits embraced Buddhism in a mass conversion ceremony in the Indian state of Gujarat on 27 October. The ceremony was held at the Sardar Vallabhahai Patel National Memorial in Ahmedabad in the southwest of the state. The city is approximately 300 kilometers north of Mumbai in Maharashtra, a major center for the ongoing Ambedkarite movement and other Dalits seeking social advancement through conversion to Buddhism. The mass conversion was organized by the Buddha’s Light International Association (BLIA), an international Buddhist organization founded by Ven. Hsing Yun in 1992. The BLIA is associated with Fo Guang Shan, the largest Buddhist organization in Taiwan, also founded by Ven. Hsing Yun. The event was presided over by Ven. Hsin Bau, the religious head of BLIA, who was visiting from Taiwan. As part of the ceremony, several Buddhist monks from India and abroad were in attendance as the new Buddhists registered with the BLIA and pledged to follow the religion in their daily lives.