Clubbing Jains, Buddhists with Hindus unconstitutional: NCM

New Delhi, Sep 20 (UNI) The National Commission for Minorities(NCM) today said the Gujarat Assembly decision for clubbing Buddhist and Jains with Hindus, striking out their separate dentity, was in contravention of a Central notification and the NCM Act of 1992.

The Commission urged the Centre to examine the whole matter as it affects the religious rights of a minority.

The state Assembly had yesterday passed a Bill amending its anti-conversion law--the Freedom of Religion Act 2003--which says that Jainism and Buddhism shall be taken as denominations of Hindu religion.

The NCM pointed out that the Clause 2(c) of NCM Act of 1992 empowers the Central Government to notify a minority for purposes of the Act, in the light of which the Union Ministry of Welfare notified on October 23, 1993 Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists and Zoroastrians(Parsis) as minority communities.

''The decision of the Gujarat Assembly is a matter of great concern to the Buddhist citizens of India. Buddhism is one of the great religions of the world and has its adherence in many lands.

Any move to impinge upon the distinct identity of Buddhism and its adherents would therefore have ramifications that are best avoided,'' the Commission said.

The original Anti-Conversion law had come under fire from human rights groups when it was passed in March 2003. Under the legislation, anyone who wants to convert to another religion had to apply for permission from the District Collector. Those 'forcing' or 'alluring' people to convert are liable for criminal action.

The government too had failed to implement the law because of objections raised by the legal department.

A similar controversy had arisen in 2004 when RSS chief K S Sudarshan said Sikhism was a part of Hinduism, and Sikh bodies, including the Akalis, had opposed the remarks, saying their religion had a separate identity.

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