By Lissy Maruthanakuzhy
New Delhi, Dec 1, 205: More than 1,000 Christians from various denominations gathered at New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on November 29 to address various issues confronting their community in India.
Rise in attacks against Christians and the continued exclusion of Dalit Christins from scheduled caste and scheduled tribes’ benefit topped the list of their problems.
The organizers said the convention at the prominent site for peaceful and public demonstrations aimed to draw the attention of policymakers and broaden public awareness through measured and lawful means.
The participants carried placards that read: “India is a secular nation,” “Justice for all, no exceptions,” “Peaceful protest,” “Scrap anti-conversion laws,” and “Stop rumours.”
Minakshi Singh, national coordinator of the minority department of the Indian National Congress, told the gathering, “In our country 90 percent of the health institutions, and 95 educational institutions are run by Christians where we serve our non-Christian brethren. If we were engaged in conversion how many Christians would have been in India by now? They remain as they are, we help them become better human beings.”
John Dayal, a veteran journalist, said, “It is our birthright to profess our faith whatever religion we belong to. I thank Narendra Modi for showing us the path to face any challenge, and keep flying our flag as Christians. I am happy to say I am a Christian wherever I go. 55 years as a journalist, we have to report the truth, it may be harmful, but we have to be genuine.”
Jesuit social activist Father Cedric Prakash asked, “As Christinas what is the way ahead? First, we have to be compassionate. Jeus has shown us the way. Compassion is the hall mark of the Christian. For this we need courage. Rabindranath Tagore told us what to do, “Into thy heaven of freedom let my country awake.”
Father Prakash urged Christians to have the courage to stand for truth on behalf of their Dalit brethren. “Always practice as Christians, compassion and courage, not for one day, and remain committed to our brethren.”
The gathering also heard the sharing from a few Christians, who were falsely accused of conversion and jailed. One of them said, “It was an occasion for me to share about Jesus to the jail inmates.”
The national convention aimed at fostering unity among India’s Christians and advocating their constitutional rights. The theme was “Towards a self-reliant, progressive and united India.”
The participants were volunteers from a national coalition of Christian institutions and associations representing 15 states.
Dalits are officially designated as:
Scheduled Castes (SC), not Scheduled Tribes (ST). While both groups are historically marginalized in India, Dalits (SCs) are part of the caste system, having been historically discriminated against as “untouchables,” whereas Scheduled Tribes (STs) are indigenous tribal groups.
The fundamental distinction is that Dalits are a part of the caste system (specifically, a group outside of it considered “untouchable”), while Scheduled Tribes are separate, tribal communities.
Therefore the phrase (in para 2) “the continued exclusion of Dalit Christians from scheduled caste and scheduled tribes” is technically incorrect.
In Christianity by being united with one Christ through one Baptism, we all are equal. Christianity and even Islam, there is no casteeism – no one is high, no one is low in the eyes of the Resurrected Christ. Therefore the very concept of “Dalit Christians” is anti-Christ. If the so-called Dalit Christians were to be given the benefit of reservation as Scheduled Caste, then the Catholic Church prelates have to bite the bullet in courts, under oath, that Casteeism is indeed being practised in the Catholic Church.