It could well become the mother of all conversions, though there are many who question the veracity of the claim that around one lakh people from 42 nomadic tribes will converge on the state capital on May 27 and convert to Buddhism. But the RSS seems to be in no mood to go on the offensive, perhaps fortified by the last such attempt in Nagpur in 2006 when only a few hundred tribals turned up despite a similar claim.

Laxman Mane, a nomadic tribal writer whose autobiography Upara (Outsider) is a landmark in Marathi literature, is currently on a statewide tour to garner support for the campaign. Mane himself had converted to Buddhism in Nagpur on October 2, 2006, and claims the conversion event at the Mahalaxmi Race Course in Mumbai will be India’s largest religious mass conversion till date.

The Sangh Parivar has decided to ‘ignore’ it on the grounds that Buddhism is a part of the Hindu dharma. “We neither support nor oppose the conversion of Mane and other nomadic tribals. It is their own decision and why should we discuss it?” asked Katcheshwar Sahane, RSS Western Maharashtra prant sanghchalak. “They are just altering the methods of worship. After all Buddhism is a part of Hindu dharma. So, it is an internal matter of Hindus.”

Sahard Kunte, Maharashtra prant prachar pramukh of Vishwa Hindu Parishad said they were not bothered about conversions to Jainism, Sikhism or Buddhism. “Mane’s conversion will not harm the nation or the Hinduism as Buddhism is the integral part of Hindu religion,” he said.

... contd.