Dalit Christians cry for 'justice' at rally in capital

Protesting against the partisan politics of the UPA Government, hundreds of Dalit Christians and Muslims cried for 'justice' as they rallied in the capital on Wednesday.

Led by Bishops, Dalit activists, lay leaders and prominent politicians, the rally converged at the Jantar Mantar, saw people from different states carrying placards and cutouts demanding the inclusion of Christian Dalits in the Scheduled Caste list which the government has been guaranteeing from the last five decades.

Inaugurating the event, Archbishop of Delhi, Vincent Concessao, said: "It is clear discrimination against Christians, and the government without delay must amend the 1950 Constitution Order which restricted reservation benefits to Hindus, Sikhs and Buddhists."

The politicians at the dharna while acknowledging that such rallies in the past have fallen on deaf years, concurred it was high time the government equally treat all religions in India.

"This is not the first time such a rally has been held. We are tired of pleading to the government to extend the reservation even after a powerful commission led by former Chief Justice of India, Justice Ranganath Mishra, gave a go-ahead," said Mr Ali Anwar, MP, Janatha Dal United.

He asserted that Dalit Christians and Muslims were only demanding their due right which is neither unwarrantable nor unconstitutional. "The Indian Constitution gives equal respect to all religion, and this must be practiced by the government," he urged.

Prof. Mary John, the convener of National Council of Dalit Christians (NCDC), which organised the rally, says political parties appear to help only during time of votes.

Pointing that the Congress Party and UPA on several occasions assured to redress the injustice, John said, Christians are no more to bear with such empty promises. The criticality of the situation now forces Christians and Muslims to ruminate over an alternative option, he cautioned.

In a memorandum submitted to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Veerappa Moily, Law minister and Salman Kursheed, Minister of Minority Affairs, the NCDC along with Catholic Bishops' Conference and National Council of Churches, have demanded the implementation of recommendations made by National Commission for Religious and Linguistic Minorities (NCLRM).

In the report submitted to the government on 21 May 2007, the NCLRM underlines that by embracing Christianity the economic status of a Dalit does not improve and therefore the reservation status must be extended to all Dalits irrespective of religion.

It also points that such discrimination goes against the articles 14, 15 and 25 of the Constitution of India.

There are about 20 million Dalit Christians whose socio-economic and educational rights have been dismantled by para 3 of the Presidential Order in 1950. All the political parties except the BJP have supported the deletion of the 'unjust' para.

Incidentally, Wednesday's rally also marked the inauguration of a prayer and fasting service for Dalit Christians by Mother Teresa in New Delhi on Nov. 18 1995.