Christian council welcomes AP resolution supporting Dalit Christians

The All India Christian Council Thursday welcomed the resolution adopted by the Andhra Pradesh Assembly seeking SC status for Dalit Christians.

Thanking Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy, the Council hailed the resolution as an "undoing of a historical error on the Dalits and on their freedom of choice and conscience."

The resolution – adopted by the Assembly on 25 August – strongly solicits the Centre to cede SC status for Christians from Dalit community.

"This Houses resolves to request the Centre to amend the Constitution for extending SC status to Dalit Christians so that they can enjoy the same equal political rights and socio-economic and educational benefits as all other SCs," the resolution states.

According to the 1950 Constitutional Order, SC privileges are to be received only by those who profess Hinduism. It later included Sikhs and Buddhists but not Christians.

"In the definition of the United Nations the suggested description of a Dalit is, a person facing a "descent" and "work based" discrimination. This truly applies to the Dalits that adopt Christianity or Islam as much as those Dalits following other faiths," aicc said.

The Council thanked leader of the opposition Chandra Babu Naidu, Praja Rajyam President K. Chiranjeevi, Telangana Rashtra Samiti floor leader E. Rajender, CPI (M) member Julakanti Ranga Reddy and CPI member Sambasiva Rao, for supporting the resolution.

Although the majority supported the move, there were still dissidents who opposed the resolution.

Lok Satta Chief Jayaprakash Narayan said the resolution would jeopardize the rights of Dalits as the 15 percent reservation will be shared between SCs and Dalit Christians.

Responding to his comments, the aicc said, "Mr. Narain, is sadly ill- informed and had made untrue and provocative statements against the wishes of the Dalit leaders around the state. "

BJP state President and former union minister Bandaru Dattatreya also slammed the resolution adopted by the government.