Spotlight on Dalit Christians this Sunday

On December 9, churches would observe the Dalit Liberation Sunday to remember and reflect upon the plights of Christians of Scheduled caste origin who continue to suffer discrimination.

"Dalit Liberation Sunday has become an annual feature in sensitising the local congregations to be pro-active in addressing the cause of Dalit concerns," said Sunil Raj Philip, Executive Secretary of National Council of Churches in India (NCCI).

The theme for this year's observance is "Break the barriers; build the world of equality".

Even after many years of independence the practice of untouchability continues in the Indian society in many forms. Christian community is not an exception to this phenomenon. Even after their conversion to Christianity, the Dalit people suffer the social discrimination, poverty, educational backwardness arising out of the traditional practice of untouchability.

The denial of the Constitutional rights to the Dalit Christians is another long pending issue of Dalit Christians and Muslims. As they are not included in the Scheduled Caste list they lose the affirmative action in education, employment, economic development, legal protection and political reservation.

The Constitution (Scheduled Caste) order 1950 paragraph 3 that excludes Dalit Christians and Muslims has been challenged in the Supreme Court. The order is against the secular nature of the country and equality before the law, observed Rev A Neethinathan, chairperson of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India, Office for SC/BC.

To protest the same, Christians along with representatives of a range of communities and political and religious affiliations organised a rally and demonstration in August this year.

"I appreciate and thank all those who were involved and supported this issue. Our demand is that the UPA Government should file its reply to the Supreme Court without any delay," said Neethinathan.

Dalit Liberation Sunday is celebrated during the Advent season every year. The event also stands adjacent to Human Rights Day celebrated on Dec. 10 to recognise the work of human rights defenders worldwide.

"This observance makes us look at the significance of the birth of Jesus Christ afresh. The incarnation of Christ is not some charitable act of condescendence, but a decisive expression of the divine in breaking the divide between God and humanity so that God could identify with humanity, and humanity could experience togetherness with God," NCCI General Secretary Roger Gaikwad wrote in a resource book that was circulated among churches.

"Once the Christmas season is over, we are back to our structures, divisions, and barriers. This is an expression of love without justice. However the celebration of Dalit Liberation Sunday calls for a spirituality which operates out of a theological questioning of the sociological status quo," expressed Gaikwad.