Parties urged to get SC status for Dalit Christians

Madurai, March 18, 2019: An organization working for the rights of Dalit Christians has appealed to political parties to include long-pending demands of Dalit Christians in their election manifestos.

In a statement issued to all national and regional parties, the National Dalit Christian Watch (NDCW) mainly highlighted its demand for according ‘Scheduled Caste’ status to all Dalit Christians and ensuring that they received the benefits of affirmative action and other safeguards provided by the Constitution to all Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST).

The NDCW alleged that although Christianity professed equality and justice, caste-based discrimination was widely prevalent within the religion. “A majority of Dalit Christians are educationally and economically backward, socially ostracized and politically powerless,” Vincent Manoharan, national convenor of the organization, said.

Moreover, he added, Dalit Christians often faced brutal attacks from right-wing fundamentalist forces, which blamed them for religious conversion.

Other NDCW demands are extension of reservation to Dalit Christians in education, employment and electoral space; special budgetary allocation; and inclusive policies to provide entrepreneurship opportunities to Dalit Christians.

Highlighting that Dalit Christians presently did not enjoy protection under the Forest Rights Act and the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act like other SC and ST communities, the organization demanded that Dalit Christians should also be brought under the ambit of these Acts.

It appealed to all the parties to make policies to ensure that Dalit Christians did not face discrimination within and outside the church. It demanded adequate representation of Dalit Christians in national and State-level minority commissions and other such committees.

The Appeal

NDCW-National Dalit Christian Watch
8/1, 3rd Floor, South Patel Nagar, New Delhi – 110008

AN APPEAL TO ALL POLITICAL PARTIES IN VIEW OF THE FORTH COMING NATIONAL GENERAL ELECTION

NDCW is an Ecumenical organisation striving for the rights and space of Dalit Christians. In view of the forth coming National General Election for 17th Lok Sabha, NDCW proposes this appeal to ALL National and Regional Political Parties to consider the following demands to be incorporated in their Election Manifestoes to ensure rights, privileges and space in every socio economic and political aspects of this country for the empowerment of Dalit Christians, in par with other citizens.

The overall status of Dalit Christians
Christianity has its presence in India from the 1st century AD. According to 2011 census, the total Christian population is 2.85% and Dalit Christians form majority (around 70%) among them, irrespective of denominations. Although Christian faith affirms that ‘all human beings are created in the image of God’ and Christian Scripture proclaims the ‘impeccable values of equality, justice and peace’, Caste divides Christians. Caste practices are rampant in the forms of ‘Untouchability, stigmatized labour and forced socio-economic-political disabilities which exclude, segregate, discriminate and oppress’ Dalit Christians. Similar to the prevalence in larger society, they face related exclusion, discrimination and disadvantages within Christianity as well, by which the DCs have been denied of adequate space in Church hierarchy, in parishes and also in Church based institutions. In short, majority of Dalit Christians are educationally backward, socially ostracized, economically unemployed/exploited and politically powerless. Additionally, they are easily targeted and brutally attacked by Hindu Fundamentalist/Fascist forces with a false accusation that they involve in proselytization and religious conversion. Alongside, Govt has also denied the SC status through its Constitutional Order 1950 para 3, which prevents Dalit Christians from availing protection from constitutional safeguards, special legislations, economic and political empowerment through a number of Affirmation Action policies, schemes and programs which are being enjoyed by the so-called Untouchables of other faiths. Therefore, NDCW places the following demands to be addressed by the Political Parties.

Following are the demands of Dalit Christians(DCs) to ensure, dignity, equality, space and justice:
1. Award SC status to Dalit Christians (Article 341 of Constitution) in par with Hindu, Sikh and Buddhist SCs considering the recommendations of Sri Renganath Commission;
2. Extend affirmative action benefits to Dalit Christians too, especially in Education, Employment and Electoral spaces;
3. Ensure DCs to have provisions for scholarship for both internal and overseas studies;
4. Include provisions for DCs in SCP, yearly budget and all fiscal plans, schemes and programs;
5. Create specific provisions for DCs in Land distribution, tenancy Rights, homestead land/Pattas – mainly in the name of DC women;
6. Ensure space for DCs in industrial / business / trade / market advancements, which includes raising financial assistance from all Fiscal institutions;
7. Ensure DCs are not evicted from their in-habitat in the name of Development oriented mega or private projects;
8. Ensure that the Forest Right Act include provisions to allow DCs to remain in Forest areas where they live for generations;
9. Give protection to DCs under SC/ST (PoA) Act and other legislations which are in place to safeguard the safety of SCs;
10. Bring Minority institutions under RTI and RTE fold so that DCs could get access to information for claiming their rights and space;
11. Create space for Dalit Christians in the Minority Commissions both at Central and States;
12. Ensure DCs are not discriminated in burial in Cemeteries in par with other Christians;
13. Ensure Christian Institutions of all nature to provide legitimate space to DCs;
14. Protect DCs from all forms of untouchability practices and atrocities both in larger society and also in Church and its domain;
15. Protect DCs from the Fundamentalist forces who attack them with the accusation that they involve in religious conversion, beef eating and cattle sale etc.,
16. Provide space for DCs in all Commissions and Committees at all levels;
17. Ensure DCs live a life with equality, dignity, space and justice in par with others.