Dalit’s job suspension in Tamil Nadu, India was ‘discrimination’
(July 31, 2010) Indian Church officials have accused the Tamil Nadu state government
of religious discrimination after it suspended a dalit Christian civil servant for
allegedly producing false information to secure his job. The state government suspended
C. Umashankar, an IAS officer of 1990 batch on July 21, saying he presented a certificate
stating he belonged to the Scheduled Castes group but did not say he was a Christian.
India’s constitution allows job and education quotas for dalit (former lower castes
or “untouchables”) to improve their socio-economic status. However, Christians are
denied such quotas on the grounds that their religion does not recognize the caste
system. Umashankar, who was employed in 1990, said he was a Hindu dalit then but converted
to Christianity in 2008. The government action is “illegal,” he said. No government
can insist a caste certificate issued 24 years ago be updated to work against an individual’s
freedom of religion. “The government discriminates against citizens on the basis of
religion. This case is just the tip of the iceberg,” said Father Cosmon Arokiaraj,
secretary of the Indian bishops’ commission that looks after the interests of low-caste,
tribal and underprivileged people. The suspension goes “against the secular nature”
of the country, said Father Devasageayaraj, secretary of the regional commission for
dalit people. Media reports say Umashankar claimed the caste issue emerged after
he made graft allegations against the state government, which involved relatives of
the state chief minister. Now he has filed a complaint with the National Commission
for Scheduled Castes against the state government.