[Reader-list] Please write in support of Dalit Christians

[Clifton]

Dear All,

As you are aware an urgent matter has been posted before the Supreme 
Court on the critical question of the status of 24 million Dalit 
Christians in India.

Dalit Christians have been target of sustained discrimination at the 
hands of Government, society and the Church for many decades. Their 
fundamental rights including right to equality, freedom of religion and 
the right to a life with dignity have been continuosly violated.

The State, on the basis that Christianity does not recognise or practice 
caste system, has denied recognition of Dalit Christians as Scheduled 
Castes. This, has meant that despite being subject to every form of 
discrimination and harassment by the dominant castes, dalit christians 
have not been officially granted SC status for the purposes of positive 
discrimination policies and protective laws. The fact that dalit 
christians do not come under the purview of the Prevention of Atrocities 
on SCS and STs Act, has meant that the dominant castes discriminate 
against dalit christians with absolute impunity.

The Church on the other hand is also party to discriminative treatment 
meted out to dalit christians. There are separate churches for dalit 
christians and converts from upper castes.

This Struggle has been going on for since the time of our independence, 
however their demands have fallen in deaf ears. This struggle has now 
been taken up to the Supreme Court as well. With regard to a petition 
that was filed by dalit christian activists, the Supreme Court has 
appointed the Ranganath Misra Committee to evaluate the economic and 
social status of dalit christians in India. The commission has been 
soliciting public opinion and it is with respect to this that we write 
to you.

Kindly pledge your support as this is an urgent matter therefore, to 
kindly send your letters and documents to the Justice Ranganath Misra 
Commission in support of the demand of Christians of Dalit origin, to 
get this marginalized group its fundamental rights so brutally snatched 
from it by the Presidential Order 1950.

The Commission’s Email Id is: _ncrlm2005 at rediffmail.com_ 
<mailto:ncrlm2005 at rediffmail.com>

The postal address is: Member Secretary, NCRLM, Gate 30, II Floor, 
Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium New Delhi 110003

The Chairman’s postal address is: 31, Aurangazeb Road New Delhi 110001.

The address of the Member secretary (a retired IAS officer of the rank 
of secretary to the Government of India) is: Mrs. Asha Das, D-297, 
Sarvodaya Enclave, G/F, New Delhi.

The Email Id of member secretary is: _das_asha at yahoo.com_ 
<mailto:das_asha at yahoo.com>

We sincerely thank you for your interest and assistance! Mobilize as 
many letters and emails as you can in the next couple of days this is 
urgent!

In solidarity,

Manoranjini

Alternative Law Forum, Bangalore

Sample letter to Justice Shri Ranganath Misra Commission

Justice Shri Ranganath Misra
Chairman
National Commission for Religious & Linguistic Minorities
Gate No 30, II Floor, Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium
Lodi Road, New Delhi – 110 003

Sir,

Subject: Extension of Reservations to Dalit Christians.

We are glad that the Commission headed by you has been requested to 
examine the justification for specification of Dalit Christians as 
Scheduled Castes for the purpose of reservation. Kindly permit us to 
submit the following for your kind consideration.

In spite of various efforts made by the governments, caste 
discrimination and untouchability remain a major social concern specific 
to Indian Society.

Although they are Christians, the Christians of Scheduled Castes Origin 
live and work along with Hindu Dalits. The stigma of untouchability and 
social ostracism haunt them wherever they go and whatever they do.

Just because of being Christians, they are not spared from communal 
violence and abuse by upper and dominant caste communities. Nor are they 
treated equally by the upper caste Christians.

That they continue to suffer from the same socio economic disabilities 
and that the change of religion does not alter their socio-economic 
status have been established by various commissions appointed by the 
governments from time to time and also by the many rulings by the 
Supreme Court.

Moreover the discrimination against Dalit Christians based on the third 
para of the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order 1950 goes against many 
articles of the Constitution of India. It is discrimination on the basis 
of religion and it is sad to note that the violation is done by the 
State itself (Article 15)

It also goes against Freedom of Religion (Article 25). The Order forces 
the Dalits to remain in a particular religion, allured by the socio 
economic privileges and fear of losing the same if they dare to choose a 
religion of their choice.

The Dalit Christians, though they are Dalits, are deprived and denied of 
civil and legal safeguards and protection that are provided for Hindu 
Dalits under the Protection of Civil Rights Act 1976, Untouchability 
(Offences) Act 1955 and SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act 1989. Thus 
they stand vulnerable to the abuses and attacks of the dominant castes, 
without any possibility of legal redressal as Dalits.

Besides, the Government has already amended the Constitution (Scheduled 
Castes) Order) 1950 twice: First in 1956 to include Dalit Sikhs and next 
in 1990 to include Dalit Buddhists in the Scheduled Castes.

The Government has already considered the demand of the Dalit Christians 
and prepared the draft amendment bill in 1996. The Statement of Objects 
and Reasons of Bill NO17 of 1996 says: “Converts to the Christian 
religion, who are of the Scheduled Castes origin, are precluded from the 
statutory benefits and safeguards accruing to members of the Scheduled 
Castes. Demands have been made from time to time for extending these 
benefits and safeguards to the Christians of the Scheduled Castes origin 
by granting them recognition as the Scheduled Castes on the ground that 
the change of religion has not altered their social and economic 
conditions. Upon due consideration of these demands, it is proposed to 
amend the relevant Constitution (Scheduled Cates) Orders to include the 
Christian converts from the Scheduled Castes as the Scheduled Castes 
therein, hence the Bill.”

It is clear from the above statement that the government is asserting 
that the ‘change of religion has not altered social and economic 
conditions’ and that it has ‘duly considered the demand and proposed to 
amend the Order’ and the statement holds good even now when caste 
violence is so open and the number is on the increase. Hence we request 
you to kindly recommend to the Government to include the Christians of 
Scheduled Caste Origin in the Scheduled Castes and provide them the same 
status as their counterparts in Hinduism, Sikhism and Buddhism.

Thanking you,

Yours Sincerely,

Name, Address and phone number