On the 8th of April, the Gujarat government issued a circular stating that since Buddhism is a separate religion and thus any conversions from Hinduism to Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism would be permitted only after obtaining the concerned district magistrate’s approval under the provisions of the Gujarat Freedom of Religion Act, 2003. The state home department issued this directive on the 8th of April to allay concerns about how conversion petitions are handled.
The circular emphasised that conversion applications must follow approved procedures and pointed out differences in the district magistrate offices’ interpretation of the Gujarat Freedom of Religion Act. It recognised cases in which applicants and independent organisations disputed the requirement for prior authorization for Hindus to convert to Buddhism.
The circular issued a warning on possible legal challenges resulting from a lack of understanding of the laws pertaining to religious conversions. It emphasised the necessity for district magistrates to carefully review the laws when considering conversion applications.
“…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 stated.
“In cases where applications are filed seeking prior permission, concerned offices are disposing such applications 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. It is possible that the replies given to applicants in the sensitive subject like religious conversion without sufficient study of legal provisions can result in judicial litigations,” it added.
The circular, according to a senior Home Department official, has been released as a clarification on the matter. “Some district magistrates were wrongly interpreting the Act and its rules while deciding applications of the religious conversion from Hinduism to Buddhism. Also, some district magistrates had sought guidance on the subject. So, we have issued the clarification through this circular,” an official told IE.
“This circular has made it clear that Buddhism is a separate religion and it has nothing to do with Hinduism,” said Ramesh Banker, Secretary of the Gujarat Buddhist Academy (GBA), in response to the issuance of the said circular.
The banker welcomed the circular’s release and highlighted that the GBA has always followed the established procedures for conversions. On 25 October, last year, around 400 people were converted to Buddhism in Ahmedabad. In a similar vein, about 900 people in Gir Somnath converted to Buddhism in October 2022.
