UP Chief Minister urges Prime Minister to grant Equal Rights for Christians of SC origin

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Ms. Mayawati in a letter to Dr Manmohan Singh, the prime of minister of India, fully endorsed the demand of National Council of Dalit Christians (NCDC) to grant equal rights to Christians of Scheduled Castes origin.

"I fully endorse the demand of the Council to amend the para–3 of Presidential Order 1950 so as to give benefits to Christians of Scheduled Caste origin," wrote Ms Mayawati in her letter dated Aug. 30, 2007.

"Here I would like to mention that I had earlier sent a recommendation on a similar kind of representation on 02 August, 2005 to end this discrimination. I strongly request you to amend the para–3 of Presidential Order 1950 suitably," added Mayawati, quoted Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (C.B.C.I.)

The National Council of Dalit Christians on 21 August 2007, in a representation to the Chief Minister insisted equal rights and benefits to Christians of Scheduled Caste origin.

In their representation they pointed out that, the various Commissions i.e. National SC/ST Commission headed by Dr. Elaya Perumal, Kaka Kalekar Commission, Mandal Commission and Justice Ranganatha Mishra Commission have recommended to the Central Government to provide constitutional rights of Scheduled Castes to Christians of Scheduled Caste origin which has been denied, stated the letter.

The chief minister, in the letter also mentioned the amendment to the order which was done in 1956 in favor of Sikh Buddhist Scheduled Castes and asked for similar justice to the Dalit Christians.