How AAP's Rajendra Pal Gautam is maligning Buddhism by using mass conversion for political ends

Rajendra Pal Gautam, AAP MLA and minister in Arvind Kejriwal’s cabinet, is in the news for all the wrong reasons after his video of participating in the mass conversion of 10,000 Hindus went viral on social media. The in charge of Delhi’s social justice and empowerment, culture, and tourism not only extended his patronage to the conversion of Hindus but also fuelled anti-Hindu sentiments through an eloquent oath ceremony. The program claimed to convert Hindus to Buddhism, but a closer look says otherwise- it is a vile act of demonizing Hinduism in the name of pseudo-Buddhism. The promises propagated in the conversion event have no resemblance or relevance to the Buddha, but it appears to be an act of social engineering to create a new voter base which might be later converted to another religion like Islam or Christianity.

Notably, Gautam Buddha was born and brought up in a Sanatani family, and when his brother hunted a bird, his heart was shaken with compassion and love. Upon seeing a dead person’s funeral procession, he embraced asceticism. He preached principles like nonviolence and fought for peace in the world. Despite Buddha’s clear stand on abstaining from violence, the so-called followers of this neo-pseudo-Buddhist outfit are known for feasting on meat and violating the principles of Buddhism on a daily basis.

This neo-pseudo-Buddhist outfit has created a list of oaths that every new member of their clan must take. Let us go through these 22 vicious oaths as propagated by AAP’s Rajendra Pal Gautam. By the end of the article, you will have unparalleled clarity on how this propaganda serves the separatist DNA of the AAP and its partners both within India and outside India.

• I shall have no faith in Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwara, nor shall I worship them.

Neither Sanatan Dharma nor Gautam Buddha has compelled any individual to worship or not worship a deity. There are no references to this pledge in any authentic Buddhist scriptures.

• I shall have no faith in Rama and Krishna, who are believed to be incarnations of God, nor shall I worship them.

Hinduism/Sanatan Dharma has provisions for individuals to be Sanatanis/Hindus regardless of their faith in theism. Atheism is formally recognized as a part of Hinduism.

• I shall have no faith in Gauri, Ganapati and other gods and goddesses of Hindus, nor shall I worship them.

Worship is believed to be a private matter, and a huge number of Hindus don’t perform worship or any form of rituals but identify themselves as Hindus. This aspect makes the pledge both irrelevant and impotent for a huge number of Hindus.

• I do not believe in the incarnation of God.

If the concerned person has no faith in the existence of God, taking a separate pledge to denounce faith in the existence of God’s incarnations is nothing but a mere act of foolishness, a logical fallacy.

• I do not and shall not believe that Lord Buddha was the incarnation of Vishnu. I believe this to be sheer madness and false propaganda.

Hindus believe that Gautam Buddha was an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, but the disagreement and disrespect by a fringe section of society that runs these conversion camps have never been labelled as madness by Hindus. Also, none of these claims is backed by the Dalai Lama, the arch-leader of Buddhists.

• I shall not perform Shraddha, nor shall I perform Pind Daan.

Shraddha and Pind Daan are personal choices, and the scriptures have designated a process for the same. There are multiple religions that do not perform Shraddha and Pind Daan, but the vicious vow to not perform it says otherwise about its core intentions.

• I shall not act in a manner violating the principles and teachings of the Buddha.

This particular pledge is violated in all its profanity in the 1-10 pledges of this conversion racket.

• I shall not allow any ceremonies to be performed by Brahmins.

Irrespective of the objective and reasoning, this bigoted, exclusionist, and vicious pledge are as anti-Buddha as it gets.

• I shall believe in the equality of man.

This pledge violates the upper pledge that fuel hatred against certain parts of the society, i.e. Brahmins, while Hinduism states that all living beings are divine, including Mother Nature (abstract objects.)

• I shall endeavour to establish equality.

Ironically, this series of pledges are based on discrimination and dehumanization of Hindus.

• I shall follow the Noble Eightfold Path of the Buddha.

I leave it to the readers to verify the intentions of the conversion camp organisers when it comes to following the true principles of Buddha.

• I shall follow the ten paramitas prescribed by the Buddha.

Again, I rest my case on the sanity of our readers.

• I shall have compassion and loving-kindness for all living beings and protect them.

Despite the pledge, most activists hailing from this cabal assert that they have the right to consume beef as food and eradicate Brahmins from the face of the Earth. Again, I leave it to our audience to test the substance of this pledge.

• I shall not steal.

Abstaining from theft or anything that isn’t earned is a basic principle of Hinduism.

• I shall not tell lies.

All Brahmins teach this aspect of Hinduism.

• I shall not commit carnal sins.

Every Brahmin (in the Vedic sense) preaches this and applies it in their own lives.

• I shall not take intoxicants like liquor, drugs, etc.

Karmakandi Brahmins request everyone to take this pledge regardless of their caste and creed. Plagiarism?

• I shall endeavour to follow the Noble Eightfold Path and practice compassion and loving-kindness in everyday life.

While every Hindu follows the Noble Eightfold Path in their respective understanding and capability, this oath is a mere repetition of two previous oaths in a combined form.

• I renounce Hinduism, which disfavours humanity and impedes the advancement and development of humanity because it is based on inequality, and adopt Buddhism as my religion.

Hinduism is the oldest civilisation on the planet which has contributed immensely to be it Yoga, Ayurveda, mathematics, science, or literature. Making vile, unwarranted, baseless claims against Hinduism, which hasn’t caused any hostility since time immemorial, including the fauna and flora itself, reflects the true intentions of the neo-pseudo-Buddhist clan.

• I firmly believe the Dhamma of the Buddha is the only true religion.

While a large number of Hindus revere Buddha and his teachings, the abrahamization of a Sanatani culture like Buddhism raises more questions.

• I believe that by adopting Buddhism, I am having a re-birth

Since there was a pledge in the earlier section where incarnations were discarded, may we have the luxury of how being incarnated is a pledge now?

• I solemnly declare and affirm that I shall hereafter lead my life according to the teachings of Buddha’s Dhamma.

• While every pledge in this violates each other, this statement stands as nothing more than sheer hypocrisy. Be it Buddha or Mahavir, they have lived according to Sanatani principles and added values to it only. Sanatan Dharma clearly states that Varnas are an individual’s quality with no relationship to the progeny. Also, most of the malpractices, including the caste system attributed to Hinduism, were a result of accepting foreign cultures and persecution by Islamists and Christians. These pledges make it evident that the agenda isn’t to improve people’s lives or do away with their tragedies- instead, it is a plot to weaken the country and make way for malicious actors.

The author is a researcher, entrepreneur and social thinker. He tweets @gopalgiri_uk. Views are personal.