Pathanamthitta: The Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI) office for Scheduled Caste/Backward Classes will stage a march in New Delhi on March 10 seeking SC status to Christians and Muslims of SC origin, according to Cardinal Baselios Cleemis Catholicos, Major Archbishop of Thiruvananthapuram, and CBCI president.
In a letter issued to bishops and other church members on Saturday, the Cardinal said, “Our Christian brothers and sisters of SC origin have been denied SC rights for the last 65 years, which the Hindu, Sikh, and Buddhist SC people enjoy, The Hindu reported.
In spite of a long and laborious struggle, the Union government, from time to time, has failed to amend the Presidential order of 1950 so as to extend the same right to Dalit Christians and Dalit Muslims as well.”
Silent march
He said the CBCI office for SC/BC, in association with the National Council of Churches in India and the National Council of Dalit Christians, would stage a silent rally from Ramlila Maidan to Jantar Mantar at 10 a.m. on March 10 to press the demand.