The Dalit search for freedom began in the early 1900s when B. R. Ambedkar, “India’s one true Untouchable hero,” fought to give Dalits the same rights as other Indians. Dr. Ambedkar was born a Dalit and lived during the time of India’s national father, Mahatma Gandhi. He fought to give the Dalits the same rights as other Indians, beginning a momentous movement for their freedom. In 1956 he and thousands of his followers converted to Buddhism to denounce their low position within the Hindu caste system.
More recently, Udit Raj, another Dalit leader, began working to bring his people out of bondage from the caste system. Following in his predecessor’s footsteps, his initial plan was to conduct a ceremony in which a million Dalits would convert to Buddhism. His primary goal was to declare to India and the world that the Dalit people had the freedom to choose their own faith.
This ceremony took the form of a rally on November 4, 2001, when, in spite of opposition, thousands of India’s Dalits gathered in Delhi. Dalit leaders like Udit Raj spearheaded the event, publicly leaving Hinduism. They also spoke of their appreciation for the love and support Dalits had received from the Church, and gave several Christian leaders, including GFA’s founder, K.P. Yohannan, an opportunity to address the crowd.
That single day in 2001 opened a door for Gospel for Asia to take the Gospel to millions who have never heard the name of Jesus. India’s 300 million Dalits have been joined by other low-caste groups; approximately 700 million men, women and children, open to hearing the Good News—just waiting for someone to share it with them.
In one instance, leaders representing more than two million Dalits in their state approached Gospel for Asia saying that all of their people wanted to become Christians. Feeling that the foundation of their request was more political than spiritual, the GFA leaders said, “You don’t understand. There is more to becoming a Christian than you think.”
The Dalit leaders responded, “No, Sirs, you don’t understand. We can become Buddhists and it costs us nothing. If we become Christians, we lose many of our rights as citizens of India. But we have counted the cost, and we want to follow your Jesus.”
