Govt schemas not reaching Dalits, Tribals: Church leader

Government schemas are not reaching out to Tribals and Dalits in India, said a church leader.

Father Nicolas Barla, advocate and social activist, was speaking at a national seminar on "Jesus in the Tribal and Dalit land" in Pune, July 24-25. Some 100 participants priests, nuns, church leaders, students of theology and philosophy attended it.

"It is a known fact that the federal and state developmental projects and schemes meant for the welfare of Tribals and Dalits are not reaching out to the targeted groups," Father Barla pointed out. Consequently, exclusion and non-participation of Tribals and Dalits are
tactfully done and entire funds meant for people are misappropriated by concerned bureaucrats, politicians and others to the benefit of upper caste and wealthy, including the government, he stressed.

The basic thrust of the workshop was in the backdrop of present context of sporadic violence, exploitation of Tribals and Dalits' land in the pretext of growing establishment of mines, industries in Tribal and Dalits-dominated zones, particularly in Orissa, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradhesh and Chatisgargh States, where national, international Non-Governmental Organisations (NGS), Church and federal and state
governments are pouring in huge amounts of monetary resources to develop the area and enable Triabals and Dalits to experience the fruits of development, but often the outcome is dismal.

"In these States, Dalits and Tribals, among those Christians are majority, are being subjugated to the detrimental to their economic, social, political and educational rights and they are pushed to live into inhuman living conditions, because these people are poor, oppressed, suppressed and exploited," Father Barla said.

The priest activist explained to the participants the necessary of adherence to Constitutionals Rights, particularly, Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Prevention of Atrocities Act 1999 and Rules 1995.

"As priests and church leaders, all of us are called to heed the call of the same master, Jesus, who once upon a time, was going to village to village , listening to the problems of the people and taking actions to the needs of the people," Father Barla said.

"As present day disciples of Jesus, we have demands to identify problems, issues and concerns of the people, the least, lost and last, including the Tribals and Dalits, in order to establish the Kingdom of God by working for justice, equality and brotherhood. It requires more activism than quite spirituality," he said.

The fate of Tribals and Dalits has to be accelerated in terms of their education, health, food security and human rights, the priest added.