200 Dalit families convert to Buddhism in Hisar village

Tribune News Service

Bhiwani, August 20

Around 200 Dalit families on Monday converted to Buddhism and vowed against voting for the BJP, alleging that they had been facing social boycott for the past over a year in Bhatla village of the district.

The families said they had embraced Buddhism “as they had no other way to escape social boycott and atrocities at the hands of upper caste families in the village”.

Buddhist priests from Yamunanagar and Ballabgarh performed the formalities to covert the families to Buddhism at a ceremony held in Ravidass Temple of the village.

Dalit activist Rajat Kalsan said out of around 500 families, 300 families had converted today.

The state’s investigation department, however, stated that about 160 families had converted in the village.

The row between Dalits and upper caste communities dates back to June 15, 2017, when upper caste youths had allegedly assaulted Dalit youths, who were drawing water as per their turn from a hand pump.

On June 16, the Punjab and Haryana appointed Court Commissioner Additional Advocate General Deepak Balyan visited the village to interact with the Dalit families.

In his report, he had mentioned that a dispute over a trivial issue of drawing water had occurred between two groups of youths which took caste colour due to instigation by some vested interests.