By Matters India Reporter
New Delhi, Dec. 2, 2018: A cultural team will beat special drums and perform folk dance to demand reservation for Christians and Muslims of Dalit origin.
The two communities have been facing discrimination solely on the basis of religion for the past 68 years. The successive federal governments have not taken steps to resolve the issue of extending Schedule Caste Status to Dalit Christians and Dalit Muslims, says a press release from Father Devasagayaraj, secretary of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India, Office for Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes.
The priest regretted the government has not acted on report of the Justice Ranganth Misra Commission that supported the Dalit demand and the positive opinion of National Commission of Schedule Caste.
“The Christian and Muslim communities all over India are gravely disappointed and resent the inaction of the government,” the press release says.
Dalit Christian Artists Coordination Committee, a civil society organisation from Tamil Nadu, plans a demonstration on December 4 from 2 pm at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi, to demand Scheduled Caste rights to Dalit Christians.
Demonstration through the Dalit drums will set a tone of our demand to the political parties for the forthcoming General Election 2019, the Church official says.
Religious and Political leaders are expected to attend the program.
The group’s demands to the federal government are:
Reply to the Supreme Court to a case on this matter (CWP No 180/2004) which is pending for the past 15 years
Implement the recommendations of Ranganth commission report and include Dalit Christians and Dalits Muslims in the Scheduled Caste list