"Notice" To Budhists
Baroda, Gujarat. Free Press Journal, Bombay, 13th October 2003. Original title: Boudh Sangh Gets Notice For Holding "Illegal" Conversions.
"Show Cause Notice" For "Illegal" Conversions
The Baroda District Magistrate has issued a notice to the Vishwa Boudh Sangh (World Buddhist Council) for claiming to have conducted a "mass conversion rally" here on 5th October 2003 for which no prior official permission was granted, reports UNI
Taking exception to VBS Gen. Sec. Bhante Sanghpriya's reported claim that 25,000 dalits had converted from Hinduism to Buddhism at the function, the notice issued by the DM-Baroda (District Magistrate of Baroda), Bhagyesh Jha, said under the "Gujarat Freedom of Religion Act, 2003" prior permission of the government was necessary for any conversion.
Talking to UNI on Sunday, Resident District Collector D.H. Shah said that the administration would take penal action against the organisers after receiving their reply to the notice, issued a day after the ceremony at the Baroda Municipal Corporation grounds in Fatehgunj.
When asked, Sanghpriya claimed that the Collector had himself given them the green signal for the programme orally by stating that conversion between Hinduism and Buddhism did not come under the purview of the new act passed by Gujarat province to check "illegal" conversions.
Sanghpriya said even though no permission was granted by the district authorities for the ceremonies, the program was held as per schedule. The VBS leader dared the Gujarat provincial government to take action against him on the issue.
Clarifying his role in the controversy, the Police Commissioner, S.K. Sinha said that on the last minute request of the organisers he had permitted them to hold their religious meeting but had never given consent for the conversions.
Meanwhile, the organizers who have not registered the names of those who had undergone the conversion to Buddhism have started collecting individual declarations to this effect through their district units to be submitted to the authorities here. END.