CHAPTER - 16

FAST FOR RIGHTS OF NEO-BUDDHISTS ( C.A. MOTION )

Lok Sabha , 12 November 1977

EDITORIAL NOTE

Four Leaders belonging to different Parties had undertaken fast to agitate for the rights of Neo-Buddhists. Janata Government had taken a view that the concessions extended to Scheduled Castes should not be extended to those who convert to other religious, including Buddhism.

As early as in 1961, Y B. Chavan as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra had extended concessions to Neo-Buddhists in that State. For him, the question of conversion was essentially a moral and cultural issue. That , must be seen in a larger perspective. According to him an untouchable, only by becoming Buddhist, not undo cumulated oppressions and suppressions, handicaps and disparties which he had suffered for centuries. It was, therefore, necessary to take a human and a little more corrective view of the Constitution.

Shri Y. B. Chavan : Mr. Speaker, Sir, I am rather pained to listen to this statement, particularly the very strange logic that has been used to justify the present attitude that the Government of India has taken. It is only a mechanical argument which runs like this - that everybody is a Scheduled caste because he has decided to remain in Hinduism which is full of caste hierarchy and, therefore, in order to have these facilities or safeguards, he must continue to remain a Hindu.

I would like to say that this question of convesion of untouchables from the scheduled Castes into Buddhism must be taken in a larger perspective. Unless you understand this particular phenomenon you will never be able to understand this entire question.

The question of conversion is, essentially, a moral and cultural problem. Late Dr. Ambedkar, one of the eminent Indians, who knew the scheme of Constitution very well because he was one of the eminent Constitution makers of our country - had made and appeal to the millions of people and masses to accept Buddhism to have some sort of culture revolution in their lives, a moral revolution in their lives. It was one of the rarest events in the history of India that, at the behest and the call of one single individual, Dr. Ambedkar, millions of people responsed and they accepted Buddhism as their religion. But this has nothing to do with what the State should do regarding the 5,000 economic problems of people who belong to backward classes. Because, an untouchable, only by becoming a Buddhist is not saved from the accumulated oppressions and suppressions, handicaps and disabilities which he suffered for centuries together It was necessary, therefore, to take some sort of a human view of the matter and if I may say, a little more creative view of the situation. It is not enough if a State authority merely takes a hide-bound position - based on a certain hide-bound logic. State authorities in a country like India where there is poverty, there are masses who are down trodden, there are differences, there are caste systems, and so on and so forth, must take a little larger view, a more liberal view a more creative view. And this creative view is that, even though they may have changed their religion, they have to suffer the same poverty, they have the same cultural backwardness, they have the same handicaps. Therefore, it was necessary to take a larger perspective in this matter.