Ambedkarites often asked Kanshi Ram when he would embrace Buddhism like Babasaheb. In his reply to them, Kanshi Ram said that he would adopt Buddhism only when his party — the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) — formed the Union government and ruled this country. “ (We have to establish the nation of Buddhist King Ashoka),” he used to say.
He believed only political power can bring change for the Bahujan community and that conversion to Buddhism without it would not be effective. “But when you have power, you can really create a stir,” he said. Kanshi Ram’s last wish, however, was to adopt Buddhism.
In March 2002, Kanshiram announced the decision to accept the faith, along with two crore friends, during the 50th anniversary of acceptance of Buddhism by Babasaheb. On October 14, 1956, in Nagpur, Babasaheb had embraced Buddhism along with six lakh of his people. On the 50th anniversary of Dhhammachakra Pariwartan Diwas in 2006, Kanshi Ram had plans to embrace Buddhism in Nagpur along with many others.
But unfortunately, due to a long illness, Kanshi Ram died on October 9, 2006, just five days before the date of his conversion to Buddhism. October 9 marks the 18th death anniversary (Parinirvarana Diwas) of Kanshi Ram, who was born into an ordinary Raidasi Sikh (Dalit) family on March 15, 1934, in Khawaspur village of Ropar district in Punjab. Though he had not adopted Buddhism officially, he lived his entire life like a Buddhist monk, rooted on Buddhist principles.
Kanshi .
