By Robancy A Helen

Bengaluru, Feb. 15, 2019: A two-day conference organized by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India has mooted the idea of setting up a forum of Dalit Christians at the Asian level.

The February 13-14 conference on the theme “Dalits Witnessing Faith at the Crossroads in South Asia and Christian Response” was held at National Biblical Catechetical and Liturgical Centre in Bengaluru, capital of Karnataka state.

Around 170 people from India attended the conference. Delegates also came from Malaysia, Singapore, Nepal, Thailand, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

The foreign delegates — Paul Sinnappan from Malaysia, Sinnappan Samydorai from Singapore, Prakash Khadka from Nepal, William Nokrek from Bangladesh, Father Michael Rajendram from Sri Lanka and Jantima — shared their faith experience of being Dalits. They shared that untouchable practices exist in their countries in different and subtle forms.

As a forward to take the conference message, the participants decided to set up the Asian Forum of Dalit Christians. They also said they would join the Church to focus on Dalit Christian women, youth and children.

Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson, prefect of the Dicastery for the Promotion of Integral Human Development in Vatican, was the chief guest of the conference. He presided over the opening Mass and gave the presidential address.

Bishop Sarat Chandra Nayak, chairperson for the CBCI Office for Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes, welcomed the delegates and Father Devasagayaraj, the national secretary, briefed the conference dynamics.

The CBCI Office for Dalits and Backward Classes organized the South Asian conference

Jesuit Father Selvaraj Arulnathan, director of Indian Social Institute Bengaluru, explained the challenges faced by the Dalit Christians and Father Maria Arul Raja, gave the theological reflections on the topic.

Father Paul Moonjeli, director of Caritas India, reiterated the Church’s social action arm’s commitment to the development of Dalits.

Ludhia Digal and Asmita Digal, widows of Kandhamal victims shared their struggles of being Dalit and how their husbands gave their lives for the sake of their faith.

Father Joshtrom Isaac Kureethadam, coordinator to the sector on ecology in the dicastery of the Promotion of Integral Human Development, promised to get Cardinal Turkson’s help to link the CBCI Office for SC/BC with the Vatican.

Father Augustine Singh, a delegate from Cuttack-Bhubaneswar archdiocese, Odisha, said the conference was the first of its kind.

“It gave the delegates from neighboring countries an opportunity to learn the actual situation and struggle of Dalit community in different countries and how the movements for Dalit cause are in progress. They could also reflect on way forward,” the priest told Matters India.

Also present at the conference were Bishop Theodore Mascarenhas, CBCI secretary general, Bishop Soundraraju Periyanayagam, M.D Prakasam Member bishops of the CBCI Office for SC/BC, Bishop Neethinathan, former chairperson of the office, Bishop Raja Rao of Vijayawada, Bishop Jaya Rao of Eluru, Bishop Anthony Poola of Kurnool and Archbishop Peter Machado of Bangalore.