HISAR: About 200 Dalit families of Bhatla village in Hisar district, which had been allegedly facing social boycott by the upper castes for more than a year, on Monday embraced Buddhism in the presence of Buddhist monks at Guru Ravidass temple in the village.Rajat Kalsan, convener of the National Alliance for Dalit Human Rights, attended the function and Dalit activist Dinesh Khapad presided over the conversion ceremony.Buddhist monks Dharma Sagar, Anand Sagar and Nirbhaya Sagar, who came from Yamunanagar and Ballabgarh, gave the initiation to the Dalits of Bhatla.On the occasion, the monks who came to the temple listed the names of those who had received the initiation into Buddhism and said they would soon be given certificates related to the change of faith.Addressing the gathering, Kalsan, an advocate, said 500 families of Dalits in Hansi would also adopt Buddhism soon. He also asked the Dalit community of Bhatla to take an oath not to vote for the ruling BJP in Haryana in future.He alleged that the state government had posted anti-Dalit police officers who were not giving protection to the victims of the community.He said due to the anti-Dalit attitude of the government and the police, the community members were facing grave social problems in Bhatla.Kalsan said the Dalits of Rohnat village in Bhiwani district had also warned the state government of converting to Buddhism."After a revolt in Rohnat in 1857, the British had auctioned the village to outsiders. Around 150 Dalit families have been fighting with the state government for the last 50 years to get back their land, which was auctioned to outsiders by the British, without any luck. They said if their demand was not accepted then they would also adopt Buddhism," he added.

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