Dalit Christians threaten to boycott coming elections

Slamming the UPA government for dragging its feet on reservation for Dalit Christians and Muslims, activists have threatened to boycott the coming elections should the government fail to resolve their problem.

The National Council of Dalit Christians and All India Pasmanda Muslim Mahaj Tuesday expressed their displeasure over the government's delay in providing Scheduled Caste status to Dalit Christians and Muslims despite government commissions and reports recommending the same.

"It has been over four years since the Ranganath Mishra Commission recommended SC status to all Dalits irrespective of religion. Why is it so difficult for the government to implement the recommendations? All we have asked is the deletion of para 3 of the 1950 Presidential Order," said member of Parliament Ali Anwar Ansali, at a press conference in the capital.

"If Dalit Sikhs and Buddhists can be included in the SC net and not Christians and Muslims, then is this not discrimination that goes against our Constitution?" he asked.

Ansali, who is also the President of All India Pasmanda Muslim Mahaj, warned that if the UPA government does not promptly respond to the demand then a "funeral procession" of the government will be taken in five states that is going to polls in April-May.

"We will hold major rallies and sit-ins condemning and informing people on the discrimination practiced by our government," said Ansar, adding that all major parties had passed resolutions recommending SC status to Dalit Christians and Muslims.

The government is yet to respond to a writ petition filed in the Supreme Court in 2004. The next hearing has been scheduled for coming Thursday.

The petition has demanded equal rights by extending the Scheduled Caste privileges to Dalit Christians and Muslims.

"UPA government is giving reason after reason for not providing SC status. This time it has bluntly come up with a response saying they do not have authentic data on caste for which reason more time was needed. If that is so let Dalits of all religion be denied reservation, why only Christians and Muslims," expressed Prof. Dr Mary John, President of the National Council of Dalit Christians.

Speaking on the writ petition, John said the attorney general had in 2008 told the Supreme Court that the government will respond in eight weeks. "But till today it has not given a single response on why Dalit Christians and Muslims are discriminated."

Hitting out at the Congress party, John said, "The Congress assertion that it is protecting minorities is false. In fact we have now realised that it is this very party that has turned to be the biggest hurdle in not removing the discrimination against us."

In Tamil Nadu, informed John, over 2000 dalits recently surrendered their voter IDs in protest of the discrimination. More protests will surface across the country if this continues, he warned.

The National Commission for Religious and Linguistic Minorities in its report to the government had clearly stated that non inclusion of SC Christians and SC Muslims went against articles 14, 15, 16 and 25 of the Constitutions.

The report recommended that religion be de-linked from caste and the discriminatory para 3 of the 1950 Order be deleted by appropriate action.