Conversation with a Buddhist Meghwar activist at Umerkot 2--02-2016

Recording codes: ABC Me: This meal tastes delicious. B: Yup. I prefer to host my guests at this hotel. Me: You became a Buddhist. Previously you were Hindu. Do you think this brought you out of untouchability? Do you think others will follow you? B: Nope. They have been rather hinduised. They are not going to be Hindus. We tried our best a few years back. We a few activists had decided to convert, and even had changed our names to sound like a Buddhist. Still others chose to be Sikhs. A friend of mine even symbolically changed his Hindu name and adopted Sikh name ‘Gurmeet Singh Bedi’. Mass conversion is far better than a few persons converting. A few converts get isolated. We also suffered the same fate and many of our friends returned back to their original positions. They could not bear the social pressure. So, our friends speak of revolutions and change, they desire to change, but the end result is invariably nill. [Further read in the attachment]

录音编码：ABC Me：这顿饭真美味。B：没错。我更愿意在这家酒店招待宾客。我：你已成为佛教徒（Buddhist），此前你为印度教徒（Hindu）。你认为这一转变能让你摆脱不可接触制（untouchability）吗？你认为其他人会效仿你吗？B：不会。他们反而被印度教化了，终究不会成为印度教徒。数年前我们曾竭尽全力，数位活动家决意皈依佛教，甚至将姓名改为带有佛教风格的称谓，但仍有部分人选择成为锡克教徒（Sikh）。我的一位友人甚至象征性地更改了自己的印度教姓名，改用锡克教名字“Gurmeet Singh Bedi”。集体皈依远胜于少数人单独皈依，少数皈依者极易陷入孤立无援的境地。我们也曾遭遇同样的处境，诸多友人最终回归了原本的信仰——只因他们无法承受社会压力。因此，我的友人们虽时常谈及变革与改变，心怀转变之愿，但最终的结果往往徒劳无功。[详见附件]