NRI Buddhists Express Solidarity with Rajendra Pal Gautam

In a joint statement, 35 Buddhist group from across the globe condemned the campaign of calumny carried out by the mainstream media in India.

Team Clarion

NRI Ambedkarites from abroad conveyed condemned the manner in which Rajendra Pal Gautam was made to resign from as Delhi’s social welfare minister. Expressing their solidarity with the beleaguered leader, the Ambedkarites from USA, Canada, UK, Germany, France, Nederland, Ireland, Spain, Sweden, Japan, Korea, Singapore, New Zealand, Belgium, Hungary, Australia, UAE, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Malaysia, in a joint press release, called it a vendetta.

Rajendra Pal Gautam came into the crosshair of Hindutva lobby ever since he attended the Ashoka Vijaya Dashami celebrations on October 5 at Ambedkar Bhawan in Jhandewalan in Delhi where over 10,000 people from various religions embraced Buddhism. He was made to pay the price for his presence at the conversion event.

Condemning the vilification of Gautam by the mainstream Indian media, the release said he is subjected to an unwarranted campaign of calumny on the pretext of the 22-point oath the people had taken on the occasion as part of the conversion ritual prevalent since the time of Babasahab Bhemrao Ambedkar, and not a new invention as is being made out.

The gathering, an annual feature every October, was a peaceful event organised by local social groups, the Buddhist Society of India and Mission Jai Bheem. Dozens of such events take place every year all over the country where thousands of people convert to Buddhism. The event in Delhi was no different.

These events are held to commemorate the 1956 mass conversion to Buddhism in Nagpur on October 14, 1956 known as Ashok Vijaya Dashmi where lakhs of people embraced Buddhism by taking the famous 22 vows on a call given by Dr. BR Ambedkar. The 22 vows recited peacefully at the event in Delhi where Gautam was present is a commemoration of the historic event. It didn’t mean to hurt anybody’s religious sentiments.

Reciting the 22 vows is a common practice in all Buddhist conversion ceremonies. These vows are nothing but a guide to an individual to stay away from superstition, not to believe in caste system and treat everyone with dignity and respect. There is nothing disrespectful to any community in the 22 vows. We condemn the attempts made by mainstream media to give negative twist to the 22 vows.

Expressing their anguish over the developments back home, the NRI Ambedkarites, said, “We express our solidarity with Gautam in this testing time and hope that the government will fulfill its constitutional obligation and prevent attempts by the media and anti-social elements to divide the society.

Following is the list of the organisations that signed the statement:

1. Buddhist Council of America (BCA)
2. Dhamma Waves,Canada
3. Ambedkar Association of North America (AANA)
4. Ambedkar Buddhist association of Texas (ABAT)
5. Ambedkar International Mission, USA (AIM)
6. Dr. B. R. Ambedkar International Mission Center, Houston Texas
7. Ambedkar International Mission, Japan (AIM)
8. Ambedkar International Mission, UAE (AIM)
9. Ambedkar International Center (AIC)
10. Boston Study Group (BSG)
11. Coalition of Seattle Indian American’s (CSIA)
12. Dr Ambedkar Buddhist Society ,New York
13. International Bahujan Organization, New York
14. International Boddhisatva Guru Ravidas Organization, New York
15. Ambedkar Mission, Toronto, Canada
16. Ambedkarites International Mission Society-Canada (AIMS)
17. Ambedkar King Study Circle, USA (AKSC)
18. Periyar International USA
19. Samata Sainik Dal HQ Deekshabhumi Nagpur (SSD)
20. South Asian Dalit Adivasi Network Canada (SADAN)Dr Ambedkar Buddhist organisation Birmingham UK
21. Dr Ambedkar Mission Society Glasgow Scotland
22. Dr Ambedkar Mission Society Europe
23. Indian Association of Minorities New Zealand.(IAM)
24. Mulnivasi Nayak
25. International SSD, California,USA
26. Bhim Patrika Media
27. Ambedkar Nama
28. Dalit Dastak
29. Ambedkar Times (CA) USA
30. Blue Morning Weekly
31. Lokmanya Samiti, Maharashtra, India
32. Ambedkar Chetna Parishad, Jharkhand
33. Bodhimaggo Mahavihara
34. Human Metta Foundation
35. Human Metta Foundation

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Photo: AAP leader and former social welfare minister in Delhi