Negotiated conversion through ritualisation of embodied continuity: a case of Chamar Neo-Buddhists in Shabbirpur, Uttar Pradesh

This ethnographic study critically interrogates Pauline (rupture) and van Gennepian (linear progression) conversion models through analysis of Chamar communities adopting Neo-Buddhism in Shabbirpur, Uttar Pradesh. It demonstrates religious transition as a non-linear process, marked by institutionalized ambiguity and strategic ritual continuity. Converts exist in protracted liminality, utilizing ritualization (Bell, Catherine. 1992. Ritual Theory, Ritual Practice. Oxford University Press) to navigate Thakur dominance: public restraint maintains equilibrium, while private rituals generate symbolic capital (Bourdieu, Pierre. 1986. “The Forms of Capital.” In Handbook of Theory and Research for the Sociology of Education, edited by J. G. Richardson, 241–258. Greenwood) and catharsis. Although liminality fosters communitas, Turner’s model neglects power dynamics evident in converts’ tactics. The designation ‘Chamar Neo-Buddhist’ misrepresents reality, as full internalization of Ambedkar’s Twenty-Two Vows and orthodox Buddhism remains unrealized. Modified ritual continuity signals emergent institutionalization, yet incorporation remains threshold-bound. Thakur perceptions, aligning with India’s legal framework, actively impede liberation from caste stigma, thwarting both Ambedkar and Buddhist ideals. Consequently, conversion emerges as ongoing tactical negotiation, balancing Ambedkarite ideology against survival imperatives within enduring hierarchies.