Hopes for the state enacting a separate Budhhist Law, which is pending for last 59 years, have been revived for the Budhhist community as the government has asked an experts' committee to submit its best possible final draft for the same in a month. The Buddhist community is demanding separate laws for marriages and inheritance since the rituals are far different from existing provisions of Hindu marriage law.
Minister for social justice Rajkumar Badole after the meeting of the expert's committee said that while the committee would add to the existing draft prepared by the government, it would also seek public opinion as well as suggestions. He said that the Buddhist Law drafting committee has prepared a draft legislation. Also, various NGOs working in this field have prepared a draft too.
Badole said that since the committee has experts from NGOs as well as legal experts, it would prepare a final draft within a month that would pave way for enacting legislation which would facilitate Buddhist marriages and inheritance law in the state. He pointed out that this demand was being made since Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, the Father of Indian Constitution embraced Budhhism way back in 1956. He informed that the prevailing Hindu Marriage act can't be followed while performing a Budhhist wedding since the rituals are different.
Badole said that the meeting of the committee was held on Thursday and was attended by minister of state Dilip Kamble, Bhadant Rahul Bodhi Mahathero, legislator Dr Milind Mane, former justice Anil Vaidya, advocate Dilip Kakade, Madhkar Kamble, Baban Kamble. Badole added that almost all members have agreed to include a few points in the existing draft for the separate act and the committee would finalise its draft in the next one month.
