Udupi: Pejawar Mutt seer Vishwesha Tirtha Swami told Dalits here on Tuesday, May 24, that by becoming Buddhists, their problems would not be solved, nor any benefit would be added to their lives. The Buddhist population is meager when Dalits are left out.
If they change their religion, they may not improve upon what they have now, any more than a wild animal can change its spots on the skin. Dalits may continue to remain as such with no marked shift in their status, like Christian Harijans, the religious leader advised.
A Dalit Sangharsh Samithi programme, being organised with other social bodies in Udupi on May 24, was going to convert 2000 dalits into Buddhists. Swamiji asked them what did they get by such desertion from open Hinduism into closed Buddhism. They will remain as untouchables , but becoming Buddhists they would destroy the dalit culture evolved by their traditions, and that was a loss to Dalits, he warned.
The seer also told them that Buddhism was part of Hinduism.It is better to be a Buddhist than embrace Islam or Christianity governed by Mullahs and Bishops. Dalits will still remain Hindus in the same (Indian) nationality.
Buddhism has certain beliefs common to Hindus, as Karma, Punya, heaven and hell, worship of idols etc. which some “intellectuals” think as superstitions (blind).
The Pejawar Swamiji advised them to be devotional Vaishnavas, having faith in the protector (Vishnu). There are chanting of hymns, but liquor and non-vegetarian (flesh) food are barred. These new categories will elevate them and when pursued, and they could live without any untouchability, as pure Hindus he preached.
He invited the Dalits who want to be devotees of the Sri Krishna Math, to enable the Mutt to fix a suitable date fir their admission as Hindu Vaishnavas.