In an unprecedented move, a group of youths in Upper Assam’s Golaghat district on Friday pledged to renounce Hinduism and embrace Buddhism as a mark of protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016.
“Today I along with student leaders Paramananda Das, Madhurjya Das, Pintu Gogoi, Hirak Saikia, Prahlad Das, Jaswant Das, Mousum Das and hundred others have decided to convert to Buddhism if the BJP led state government does not take any step to scrap the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016,” said Probin Das, president of Mod Mukta Asom Dabi Samiti.
“Today these youths have come voluntarily because for our Assamese community is much greater than our religion and this Bill is putting a threat for our existence.
“We have today taken an oath that on the very day this Bill is passed more than ten thousand Assamese youths will get them converted into Buddhism, Das said.
They have also warned Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, MLA Shiladitya Dev and the central government to stay away from politics of religious polarization.
The youths gathered at the Buddhist monetary of Bhitor Kalioni, which is around 35 km from the district headquarters along the Golaghat and Karbi Anglong district border.