Final verdict of Dalit Christian Issue on April 5th

New Delhi – Dalit Christians who have been discriminated against for the last 50 years, and whose case for equal rights, after been adjourned for several years, on the 5th of April the Supreme Court of India will give their final verdict on the issue.

On the 5th of April the Supreme Court of India will see three former Law Ministers of India argue it out on the issue of giving affirmative actions benefits to Dalit Christians, who have been denied of the basic rights as citizens of India. Dalits are seen "untouchables" under ancient India caste system.

Previous Law Ministers Shanti Bhusan and Ram Jethmalani will argue that the Constitution forbids discrimination on the basis of religion and the fact that Dalits have turned to Christianity cannot be used as the basis of denial of affirmative action benefits. Former law Minister of the BJP, Mr. Arun Jaitley has been deputed by the Hindu nationalist RSS to argue against giving Christian Dalits the same rights as given to Sikh, Buddhist and Hindu Dalits.

The Central Government is also supposed to submit the report of its recent Commission which was mandated to look at the plight of Dalit Christians. Dalit Christian leaders in different parts of India have complained that a fair hearing was not given to their case when members of the Commission visited some of the States.

According to inside sources the report of the Government Commission is not likely to be in favor of Christian Dalit getting their due rights under the Constitution. There is wide spread anger among Dalit Christians against the ruling Congress Party and it’s dilly–dallying on this issue when all other parties except the BJP have come out in open support of affirmative benefits to be given to Dalit Christians.
The Supreme Court is unlikely to continue giving extensions to the Government to file its response.
The All India Christian Christian Council has issued a global call to prayer for this issue as it now enters the final stages.

The Dalit Christians and their struggle
Caste, a social stratification rooted deep in Hinduism, organizes people by a combination of descent and employment. The lowest group in the caste system is the Dalits. While atrocities against the Dalits have been practiced for thousands of years, caste–based atrocities are reaching new heights and are causing tension across many areas.

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 matter, originally fixed for hearing on August 25,2005 has been adjourned several times since then.

An estimated 70 percent of India’s 23 million Christians belong to the socially discriminated Dalit groups, who need social and educational support to come to the mainstream of society.