Ramanathapuram: A nine-member jury, led by former Madras High Court Judge Hari Paranthaman, conducted a public hearing on alleged discrimination against Dalit Christians in Sivaganga Catholic diocese.
The Tamil Nadu Untouchability Eradication Front (TNUEF) and Dalit Christians People’s Front organized the March 16 hearing at RS Mangalam near Ramanathapuram.
The jury heard the complaints that Dalits are prevented from becoming priests and villages practiced double church system. The jury promised to release its reports in a week, The Hindu reported.
More than 600 people from various Dalit villages complained about discrimination in worship, separate cemetery system and token system to prevent participation of Dalit Christians in major festivals with the help of police.
The jury heard the complaints from 11 am to 5 pm. The jury promised to draw the attention of the Supreme Court, which was seized of several discrimination cases, said K. Samuel Raj, general secretary, TNUEF.
The jury also said they would send a copy of the report to the bishop of Sivaganga and Pope Francis.
Though the diocese maintained that Michael Raj, a Dalit theology student, was denied priesthood as he was suspended on disciplinary grounds, enquiries revealed that 14 other Dalit theology students were also suspended in a similar manner, Raj said.
He said people made a startling revelation that there were two churches in some villages – one for Dalits and the other for non-Dalits. Two separate cemeteries for Dalit and other castes also existed in some villages, he said.
Recently, problem broke out at Silameganadu village in Sivaganga district when church authorities prevented Dalits from taking the body of a Dalit Christian inside the church for funeral mass, he said.
Raj expressed shock to learn about the token system to prevent Dalit Christians from attending festivals. After issuing tokens to non-Dalits, the organizers would ask the police to allow only those with tokens to enter.
The jury included activists V. Vasanthi Devi, John Dayal, G. Marx, G. Sugumaran, writer Pradeepa Jayachandran, former MLA R. Krishnan, priest Soosai Manickam, said Kalaiarasan, Ramanathapuram district secretary, TNUEF.