Campaign continues for dalit rights| Cathnews India

Campaign continues for dalit rights

Published Date: March 12, 2010

Tags: dalit christian, Dalit Christians, dalit rights, Quota, reservation

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Bishops, pastors and lay leaders of Catholic and Protestant Churches joined in a seminar seeking ways to overcome socio-religious discriminations of dalit Christians.

The top two Church bodies of the Churches-the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India and the National Council of Churches in India-organized the last weekend seminar in New Delhi.

They discussed “Building Inclusive India: Overcoming Social and Religious Discriminations” in the particular context of inequality suffered by dalit people.

Father G. Cosmon, secretary of Indian bishops’ commission for dalit Christians and other oppressed class people, said the seminar primarily aimed to seek ways to press the government to extend quota for dalit Christians.

The government tabled in parliament its own commission’s report that suggested extending the benefits to dalit Christians but “it is being neglected.”

In December 2009, the report from the National Commission for Religious and Linguistic Minorities, popularly known as the Ranganath Misra Commission, was tabled in parliament.

It said denying quota right to dalit among Christians and Muslims on the ground that their religions do not practice caste system violates justice. It recommended quota for these groups.

Jesuit Father A.X.J. Bosco, convenor of National Council of Dalit Christians, said “it is very important to carry on the momentum of Christian community” in the context of tabling the Misra commission report.

Satish Deshapande, who teaches in Delhi University, who studied Dalit in Muslim and Christian communities said, the gap between rich and poor in Muslim community is narrow, while the gap between rich and poor in Christian community is wider. “So, in Christian community there is no larger consensus with regard to fighting for reservations” to improve their dalit’s future.

Some in the seminar suggested intensifying the lobbying with parliamentarians. They also suggested putting political pressure by garnering public support.

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