Christian institutions must provide Dalit Christians with quality education, urges NCM member

Bangalore – Dalit Christians of India must be included in the quota system that reserves jobs to members of the Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes in the public service and Church–run educational institutions must give them access to quality education – this was the prevailing opinion of the speakers at a seminar that was organized by a pro–Dalit advocacy group in Bangalore.

“Education is an important means to improve the status of the downtrodden Christians. Our educational institutions must give top priority to Dalit Christians and financially support their higher studies like civil services. Dalits should strive to come up in all fields,” exhorted V.V. Augustine, member, National Commission for Minorities (NCM).

“Seventy percent of Christians in India are poor; they have no proper employment and shelter. Most of them are labourers doing menial jobs in the fish industry and agricultural farms,” he said.

Noting that the southern region of India consisted of 50 percent of the Christian population, Mr, Augustine urged the local politicians to work for the uplift of the backward class masses. “If you fail in this, you are committing a crime,” he reminded the political leaders present at the seminar.

According to former Member of Parliament (MP) and senior leader of the Janata Dal (Secular), C. Narayanaswamy, his party was willing to support the cause of the Christian Dalits and coordinate with likeminded parties to persuade the Central Government to change the reservation policy during the forthcoming winter session of Parliament.

He further said that when his party chief, H.D. Deve Gowda, was the prime minister, a move was made to bring in suitable legislation on reservation for Dalit Christians. “Unfortunately, the draft legislation could not see the light of the day because the government lost power,” he said.

The seminar, organised by the Dalit Christian Federation, was attended by politicians, social activists, Dalit leaders and over 500 people from rural and urban areas of Bangalore.

Caste, a social stratification rooted deep in Hinduism, organizes people by a combination of descent and employment. The lowest group in the caste system is the Dalits. While atrocities against the Dalits have been practiced for thousands of years, caste–based atrocities are reaching new heights and are causing tension across many areas.

A 1950 Presidential Order excluded Dalit convert to Christianity from the quota system that reserved jobs to members of the Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes in the public service. The same exclusion applies to those who convert to Islam but not to those who become Hindu, Buddhist or Sikh.

However, in a significant step, the Supreme Court in February this year decided to consider afresh the crucial constitutional issue of affirmative action in the public sector for Dalit converts to Christianity, refuting the government plea that it be treated as a legislative problem.

The matter, originally fixed for hearing on August 25, has been adjourned several times and it is expected that the apex court will take up the hearing early next year.

An estimated 70 percent of India’s 26 million Christians belong to the socially discriminated Dalit groups, who need social and educational support to come to the mainstream of society.