On the occasion of the 132nd birth anniversary of social reformer BR Ambedkar, hundreds of people from Dalit and tribal communities embraced Buddhism in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. The event was organized by an outfit called Swayam Sainik Dal (SSD), and a mega rally was organized to mark Ambedkar’s birth anniversary. The event culminated in an open ground in Sector 11 of the state capital, where the ritual of conversion, ‘Dhamma Diksha,’ was conducted by Buddhist monk Bhante Pragyaratna. The organisers did not provide the exact number of people who converted to Buddhism. Those who embraced Buddhism took 22 vows which Ambedkar took while embracing Buddhism in 1956.
Several speakers claimed that Dalits and tribals are forced to leave Hinduism because of caste-based discrimination. When Ambedkar embraced Buddhism in 1956, he took 22 vows that are also known as the 22 pledges. These pledges were meant to guide the followers of Ambedkar in their new religious beliefs, and they emphasized the principles of social justice, equality, and compassion. These pledges also encouraged people to shun the caste system, which was a prevalent feature of Hinduism at that time. By taking these vows, Ambedkar and his followers renounced their Hindu identity and embraced a new faith that they believed would offer them equality and dignity. The followers who embraced Buddhism at the Gandhinagar gathering took these same 22 vows as a symbol of their commitment to the same principles that Ambedkar stood for.
