Approximately 6,000 people from 1,600 families, mostly from Other Backward Classes (OBCs), in Maharashtra State, India, have registered with Satyashodhak OBC Parishad to embrace Buddhism in the New Year.
President of Satyashodhak OBC Parishad, Hanumant Upare, at a recent rally. From indiatoday.com
Satyashodhak OBC Parishad was established in 2009 with the aim of working for justice and equality, as well as to oppose the Hindu caste system. Through its “Original Buddhist Cadre” mission, which commenced in 2011, the organization is planning a major program to reconvert 500,000 OBCs to Buddhism by 14 October 2016, the date of its anniversary. According to Firstpost India, the organization’s president Hanumant Upare, who himself embraced Buddhism in 2006, stated, “Before we began the movement of ‘ghar wapsi’ [a ceremony to bring people back to their original religion] among OBCs, we tried to find out their origin. We found that OBCs were actually Buddhist.” He added that this is therefore “not conversion, but ‘ghar wapsi’ in the real sense.” Manjeet Sehgal of India Today further quoted the activist as saying, “Maharashtra has about five crore [50 million] OBC people. By 2016, we target to convert at least one per cent of this population.”
Activists of Satyashodhak OBC Parishad with the organization’s leaflets. From satyashodhakobc.org
According to the Indian online daily The Hindu, Mr. Upare explained that despite an agreement by the authorities to carry out a census of OBCs in 2010, it was not done, which had led to a feeling of being cheated. “We were forced into Hinduism in the 19th century, but the caste system always considered us as shudras [the lowest of the four castes in Hinduism]. The present social set up does not reward us as it should. The only way is to break out from the system,” he added.
Satyashodhak OBC Parishad’s mission to bring OBCs back to their original religion, and to gain equal social status in the process, has also attracted people from other religions. “We are not forcing anyone [to embrace Buddhism]. We are only telling them the truth and showing their roots,” The Hindu quoted Mr. Upare as saying. As reported by Manjeet Sehgal, Satyashodhak OBC Parishad claims that three Christian families and a Muslim family from Ahmednagar have also expressed their willingness to adopt Buddhism.
Hanumant Upare speaking at a rally. From satyashodhakobc.org
Indian society has been strongly shaped by the Vedic caste system. This has mostly affected the Shudras, a group that has been deprived in almost every social respect since ancient times. Likewise, the Dalits (or Scheduled Caste, formerly known as the “untouchables”), who are considered even lower in social status than the Shudras, have been denied their social rights. However, following the conversion of the Dalit Indian activist Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar to Buddhism in 1956, the Dalits in India found a new way to find equality in society by embracing Buddhism. Since then, many people have embraced Buddhism at different times, through various organizations.
Today, as well as holding rallies, group discussions, and debates, and distributing leaflets about Buddhism, members of Satyashodhak OBC Parishad are reaching out in person to OBC families and visiting the homes of those willing to return to Buddhism.