Commission begins hearing on Dalit Christians issue

New Delhi – The emancipation of the 16 million–odd Dalit Christians in India seems near with the Christian Church and pro–Dalit organizations coming forward and submitting the grievances of the oppressed community before the Justice Mishra National Commission for Religious and Linguistic Minorities.

A delegation led by the National Forum of Dalit Christian Rights, the Christian Dalits of Tamil Nadu, the All India Catholic Union, the All India Christian Council, the Voice of Dalit International appeared before the Commission and petitioned that the body hold hearings in Punjab and the southern states of Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry and Andhra Pradesh where most of the Dalit Christians lived in abject poverty and faced social ostracism.

The Commission, which was appointed by the Union Government, earlier this year, to hear the Dalit Christian issue, gave a patient hearing to the delegation who deposed before the panel.

In the written submissions, the Christians and pro–Dalit leaders elaborated on the historical background of the conversion of Dalits to Christianity, acceptance of the iniquities and infirmities of the caste system despite the change in religion by Mahatma Gandhi, Babasaheb Ambedkar and others, and decisions of various Commissions and Courts on the issue in the past.

Recently, the Indian Government has been under immense international pressure because of its complacency and lackadaisical attitude towards the “untouchables.”

Instead of empowering the downtrodden community, the Government has turned a blind eye to their plight.

A 1950 Presidential Order excluded Dalit convert to Christianity from the quota system that reserved jobs to members of the Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes in the public service. The same exclusion applies to those who convert to Islam but not to those who become Hindu, Buddhist or Sikh.

However, in a significant step, the Supreme Court in February this year decided to consider afresh the crucial constitutional issue of affirmative action in the public sector for Dalit converts to Christianity, refuting the government plea that it be treated as a legislative problem. The hearing, originally scheduled to take place on August 25, has been adjourned till October 25.

In India and worldwide, the Christian communities have shown immense solidarity for the “hidden apartheids” of India, by fasting and praying to God for a favorable outcome.

Recently, the Dalit Freedom Network (DFN), a US–based organization that seeks to work with individuals, foundations and organizations outside of India to bring together their combined resources on behalf of those who are working for the emancipation of the Dalits within India, held a historic conference on October 6 in Washington D.C., urging the US government to assist India in eradicating caste–based atrocities. The conference was followed by a hearing conducted by the U.S. Congress on human rights violation against Dalits in India.

The U.S. Congress reportedly condemned the "abuses and humiliation" of India's Dalits and tribal communities, including Christians, who they said were "victimized under the yoke of a shameful caste system."