Christian women theologians condemn increasing Dalit rapes in India

New Delhi: A group Christian women theologians in India has expressed shock and pain at the increasing incidents of sexual assaults on young Dalit women in the country.

“We strongly condemn these acts of violence and call upon the state machinery to ensure a free and fair probe into these crimes so that the guilty are brought before the courts of law and justice ensured to the victims/survivors,” says the Indian Women Theologians Forum (IWTF).

In an October 7 press release, the forum deplores the rape of four young Dalit women in Uttar Pradesh districts of Bulandshahr, Azamgarh, Balrampur, and Hathras in September. On September 18, another Dalit teenager was set on fire in Telangana state’s Khamam district for resisting the rape attempt of her employers’ son.

“It is time for every right-thinking Indian to raise their voice and demand justice for the Dalits in our country. It is time for each of us to examine our own attitudes and behavior that continues to treat Dalits as second class. It is time for India to change,” the Christian women theologian assert.

They pledged their solidarity with Dalit sisters and committed to become catalysts of change within the Church and society.

“We are deeply pained that even 70 years after the birth of India’s egalitarian Constitution framed by Dr. B R Ambedkar…Dalits continue to be treated as sub human,” the forum statement bemoaned.

Ambedkar, an eminent jurist, economist and politician, who had himself suffered caste discrimination, ensured that his strong views on social development, communal harmony and eradication of caste are spelt out in the various articles of the Indian Constitution.

Although this gave much hope for a new era where all persons would enjoy equality in our country, the current atrocities against Dalits betray a different reality, the women theologians regret.

“Even into the 21st century the attitudes towards the people considered to be the “lower” castes do not seem to have changed. Worse still is the fact that Dalits are “punished” if they attempt to access their right to human dignity or equality through horrific acts of violence. Most often the punishment is sexual violence inflicted upon the most vulnerable among them, the Dalit girls/women,” the statement explains.

The Christian theologians say they are “appalled that even the law and order machinery of the government has tended to side with the powers that be and prevent justice being done in most of the cases, despite the existence of a law to prevent atrocities against Dalit and Tribal communities.

“We condemn the acts of violence done to any woman, especially those who are rendered vulnerable by their social position in society, the Dalit women. We are well aware that the attempts of young Dalit women who aspire to educate themselves and lift themselves and their families out of poverty and their low status are often targeted by the so called ‘upper’ caste men, in order to thwart their dreams of a better future.”

The forum demanded accountability from the governments in all states as to why Dalit sisters and brothers continue to be oppressed for their caste status and are rendered vulnerable to violence.

“Why do they live in constant fear? Why are they deprived of their fundamental human rights? Why are they not protected by the police and why do they not receive justice from the judiciary? Why do they continue to live in abject poverty and are deprived of their basic right to equality?” the theologians ask.