As Dalits, they belong to the ancient indigenous people of the land, yet they have to struggle for their basic right to live as human beings. Our bureaucracy and religous fundamen
talism have treated them almost like beggers. They are not only abandoned by their own government but by their own churches where the hierarchy was totally caste based. Among 30 million Christians, at least twenty millions are considered to be dalits. Most of them live in extreme poverty and desperation. A survey undertaken by Jesuits in Tamil Nadu revealed that 79.6% of the Dalit Christians are landless, that their illiteracy rate is 65%, and that their average annual income is no more than 25 dollars. Their life style is not different other dalits and yet they are not qualified for the government affirmative benefits. A dalit remains dalit from birth to death. Change of faith does not change one’s social status in the world of caste. Dalit Christians suffer the same humiliation, discrimination, ostracism and poverty experienced by Dalits of other faiths. To deny Dalit Christians benefits because of their religious affiliation is to discriminate against them on the basis of religion and deny them fundamental constitutional rights. Due to their faith affiliation, the dalit Christians are deprived of their constitutional rights and privileges. The purpose of the discriminatory compensation (reservation) was to uplift a community that bears the stigma of untouchability and ostracism. It is a community that bears a mark of deep wound that was caused by accumulated injustice and discrimination. They need healing and peace. Dividing the dalits again on the basis of religion and deprive them of their due rights is totally unacceptable in a civilized society. Christian groups in India have long campaigned for the extension of basic reservation to dalit Christians.
In the past, several memorandums have been given to prime ministers and many rallies have been held throughout the country. The Indian government had no sympathy for these people who have suffered for centuries. They are not asking for a free lunch. All they are asking is for their basic and fundamental rights as enshrined in the Constitution. The Indian government always rejected the appeal by the Christians on the false premise that Christianity does not accept caste. Such rejection is not only a blatant denial of ground reality of caste as pointed out by various government commissions but also a denial of basic and fundamental rights as enshrined in the constitution of India.
It has been more than half a century that the dalit Christian community has been patiently waiting for their rights to be restored. They appealed to the political parties and their leaders on many times to make a necessary amendment to the Presidential Order of 1950 by which the Christian dalits would be included in the ‘Scheduled Castes’ and would be eligible for constitutional rights like Hindu dalits.
Such an amendment was in fact made twice in 1956 to include the Sikh dalits and in 1990 to include the Buddhist dalits. But the Christian dalits and Muslim dalits are not included. The Hindu dalits benefited from the affirmative action of the government. They had opportunities to get employment both in the government and private sectors through the reservation. About 26 percent of government jobs in India are reserved for members of Scheduled castes, with the aim of brining them into the political and social mainstream.
They were able to contest election in reserved constituencies and run for public offices. In the field of education, they were able to get admissions and scholarships in schools and colleges. They also were safeguarded from violence and atrocities committed against dalits under the special law. The same rights and benefits can be enjoyed by all dalits of all faith if the Supreme court could come up with a favorable verdict in favor of dalit Christians.
Such verdict will be historic because it will end fifty three years of discrimination and justice committed in the name of religion.
Your prayers can make a big difference.
