By Francis P Xavier
Madurai, Dec 15, 2025: A two-day seminar in Madurai, southern India, heard Dalit leaders narrating how they braved caste-based oppression and marginalization both in society and the Church.
“One should belong to a religion but not to a caste-based religion,” asserted S Lourdunathan, former head of department at Madurai’s Arul Anandar College who spoke about the Dalit situation in the Church.
The keynote speaker at the December 12-13 seminar on “Surfing the Waves of Challenges,” held at the headquarters of Dr Ambedkar Cultural Academy, asserted that the Dalit community must be recognized as subjects rather than objectified.
The seminar provided a platform to around 30 Dalit academics, administrators, social activists, and pastoral leaders to share how they came up in life by pursuing social justice and advancement.
They did so through excellence in work and life, said the academy officials.
They also said the academy, in its 25 years of existence, has tried to empower the Dalit community by providing their children quality education. It was founded in 2000 by the late Jesuit Father Antony Raj, who had fought against caste discrimination in society and the Catholic Church.
Lourdunathan bemoaned that theology lacks a Dalit voice and stressed making interdisciplinary methods to transcend culture, theology, and hierarchy.
The philosophy professor known for research in social epistemology, ethics, and Dalit studies, with academic work in India and overseas, also stressed the importance of social and intellectual activism. He called for building a sense of belonging while distancing from undesirable elements.
Bishop T. Sagayaraj of Thanjavur, in his presidential address, pointed out that the Church is of and for the poor and quoted Pope Francis’ call to never forget the poor. The bishop encouraged the participants to face challenges head-on, as they cannot avoid difficulties but must overcome them.
The prelate also said that Christians cannot remain neutral, as God always sides with the poor, “especially the poor and Dalits in our context.”
Jesuit Madurai provincial Father Thomas Amirtham, another speaker, noted that individual efforts, combined with collective awareness and institutional support, can significantly impact society and culture.
He recommended reservations in education and employment for Dalits, Tribals, and Aboriginals, and stressed the importance of Dalit literature, spaces, and platforms for Dalit intellectuals in developing Dalit culture. “This should be bolstered by Dalit historiography and media presence, so that Dalits receive their rightful place in society,” he asserted.
T. Pathinathan, emeritus professor at Chennai Loyola College and expert in Fuzzy Logic, shared his journey as a nomadic tree, facing discrimination and overcoming it through excellence in teaching and research. He discussed personal, social, and intellectual barriers, resilience, and the need for a prophetic vision for Dalit leaders.
Sacred Hearts Sister Sujata Jena, a grassroots activist working among Dalits and Tribals in Odisha, shared about the challenges and opportunities facing Christians in her eastern Indian state. She stressed the need for liberation and empowerment.
Another nun, Sister Robancy A. Helen, a member of the Religious Institute of Christ the Redeemer focusing on children, youth, and women, stressed the importance of courage for leadership and action over words.
Kulandai Francis, a social activist and Ramon Magsaysay awardee, described his journey from poverty to empowering others via Self-Help Groups and integrated development projects that advocate viewing the poor as collaborators rather than recipients.
Subaltern leadership in Christianity was explored by Father Devasagayaraj M. Zacharias of Pondicherry-Cuddalore Archdiocese. He explained that Dalit leadership faces internal and external challenges, being regarded as a service class and followers of dominant castes, expected to obey.
“Today, Dalit leadership equates to protest leadership, and it should evolve into broader leadership,” he added.
The seminar stressed the need to unite subsects of Dalit groups. There is a dichotomy between ideology and reality. Though there is leadership syndrome among some, what is needed is to discern on types of leadership who are responsible and assertive leaders, the seminar concluded.