(April 15, 2011) The National Council of Churches in India (NCCI) paid glowing tributes
to Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, the architect of the Indian constitution, on the occasion of
his birth anniversary marked on Thursday. Indian Christian Theology is indebted to
the philosophy of Dr. Ambedkar for invigorating contextual theologizing, said an NCCI
statement. The social action movements in the country and those within the Christian
church owe a great deal to the Ambedkarite ideologues for its focus on disadvantaged
and sociologically-discriminated communities such as the Dalits. The NCCI joins all
Ambedkarites in committing afresh to the abolition of caste in the Indian society.
The statement said 13 million Christians in the country salute the memory of this
great soul who campaigned against caste and untouchability. Ambedkar framed the provisions
in the Indian constitution that guarantee special provisions for low castes for their
advancement. The constitution lists low castes and tribals as Scheduled Castes and
Scheduled Tribes (SC and ST) to ensure their social equality.