Dalit Christians discriminated by Church, alleges PCLM

Forget about government providing justice to Dalit Christians. A Christian ministry is asking if the Church has done justice to marginalised Christians.

Several Dalits have embraced Christianity for better and equal treatment, but despite their conversion their conditions have not changed, says RL Francis, President of Poor Christian Liberation Movement.

He went on to say that even inside the Church, the Dalits are victims of discrimination. Stating that Dalit Christians accounted for nearly 70 percent of India 's Christian population, the PCLM accused high caste Christians of exploiting them.

The church leadership "exploit the poverty and unemployment" among the Dalits, Francis charged. He asked why Church bodies are demanding reservation from the government while in their own institutions are neglecting and ill treating the Christians of Dalit background.

"Let the Church in India make 50% job reservation for Dalit Christians in their institutions and then go to government for relief," Francis said in a press statement.

"But despite a wide network of missionary schools and colleges, most of Dalit Christians are illiterate and living in utter poverty because the convent schools are busy catering to the educational needs of rich and high caste people," the statement continued.

"Same is the case with job opportunities and entrepreneurship development. Dalit Christians are being denied all these facilities while the church leadership continues to flourish by usurping vast funding and real estate resources," Francis charged.

There are about 20 million Dalit Christians in India fighting against the deprival of their rights and discrimination faced on grounds of religion.

On Nov. 19, a rally is being organised in the capital to protest against the para 3 of the Constitution Order 1950 which confines the SC status strictly to Hindus, Buddhists and Sikhs.