Thiruvananthapuram: Dalit Christians of Kerala have converged in the state capital to press for reservation for their community.
Thousands of them on December 11 took out a “‘reservation protection rally” to the secretariat. They launched their stir in Thiruvananthapuram a day earlier.
The rally, organized by the Council of Dalit Christians (CDC), demanded 5 percent reservation for Dalit Christians in federal government recruitments and 4 percent in the State. It also demanded 10 percent reservation for students of the community in higher education.
Launching the rally, Church of South India moderator Thomas K. Oommen said the discrimination of people based on their religious beliefs was violation of the Constitution.
The rally began from the Museum junction. People from various districts, including women and children, joined the rally.
“This is not merely a community issue, but a church issue as 95 percent of Indian Christians are Dalit,” CSI Kollam-Kottarakara Bishop Oommen George said.
The CDC and church representatives later met Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and submitted a memorandum of their demands. The representatives said the Chief Minister had agreed to look into their demands for quota, The Hindu reported.