The Gujarat government, in a recent circular, officially recognized Buddhism as a separate religion. Under the Gujarat Freedom of Religion Act, 2003, conversions from Hinduism to Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism will now require prior approval from district magistrates.
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Gujarat Govt. Recognizes Buddhism, Sets Conversion Rules
The recent circular from the Gujarat government acknowledged Buddhism as a distinct religion and emphasized the necessity of prior approval from district magistrates for conversions from Hinduism to Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism under the Gujarat Freedom of Religion Act, 2003. The circular also cautioned against possible legal complications arising from insufficient understanding of the legal aspects related to religious conversions, stressing the importance of a comprehensive review of the legal framework by district magistrates when assessing conversion requests.
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New Guidelines for Religious Conversions in Gujarat
Highlighting Buddhism’s distinct status under the Act, the circular stipulated that individuals facilitating conversions must secure prior approval from the district magistrate. Moreover, those undergoing conversion are obligate to notify the district magistrate accordingly.
District magistrates are directed to carefully scrutinize conversion requests in alignment with legal stipulations and directives from the state government. This initiative aims to standardize the procedure and maintain uniformity in handling religious conversion requests throughout Gujarat.
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