Massive protest and hunger strike by Dalit Christians next month

A massive hunger strike and protest march would be taken by churches to demand Scheduled Caste status for Dalit Christians and Muslims whose repeated pleas in the past have fallen on deaf ears.

The protest will be held from July 25 – 27 at Ramlila Grounds, New Delhi as bishops, priests, activists and lay leaders will clamor for "equal rights" denied to them by the Constitution (Scheduled Caste) Order 1950.

Organised by the National Council of Churches, Catholic Bishops Conference and the National Council for Dalit Christians (NCDC), the campaign will begin with a hunger strike and culminate in a march to the parliament on July 28.

Christians are demanding the deletion of para 3 of the Constitution Order 1950 that dismantled the socio-economic and educational rights of those Dalits who converted from Hinduism to Christianity or Islam.

The 1950 Order made reservation in education and jobs available to those from the low caste that follow Hinduism. It was later modified to include Sikhs and Buddhists, but still excludes Christians and Muslims.

This injustice continues despite the Ranganath Misra Commission constituted by the UPA government asserted that non inclusion of SC Christians was discrimination based on religion and goes against the Constitution.

"It is a matter of great concern for the Church in India that its own brothers and sisters who belong to the Dalit community but are Christians, continue to suffer discrimination and marginalization," NCCI said in a statement.

"Many have been extending prayerful support and it has brought certain positive results and exerted a considerable pressure upon governments. However, it is necessary to accelerate our initiatives locally, regionally and nationally to achieve our goal," the Protestant body expressed.

The organisers of the three-day protest have already obtained letters of support from major political parties except BJP. In addition, prominent Dalit leaders Ms Mayawati and Mr Ramvilas Paswan have written to the prime minister supporting the cause.

"There is backwardness, exclusion and historical discrimination and depravation of Dalits whether they are adherents of Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity or Islam. Why should there be discrimination when it is a Dalit Christian? Their socio-economic life does not change by embracing Christianity," said Fr Cosmon Arokiaraj, secretary of the Catholic bishops' commission for tribal and dalit communities.

Fr Arokiaraj criticised the government for its dilly-dallying approach in extending SC status to Christians. "Our government is both insincere and dishonest. It does not even respect the Supreme Court. They were to respond to the writ petition in the Supreme Court in exact eight weeks but till today has not given any firm answer. If an ordinary citizen disrespects the Supreme Court, he will be put behind bars…but what about our government?"

Commenting on next month's protest, Fr Arokiaraj said at least 500 people would take part in the hunger strike for three days. "We will not stop our protests until justice is dispensed by deleting para 3 of the Constitution Order 1950."