Christians Demand Scheduled Caste Status to Christians of Scheduled Caste Origin
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(February 28, 2009) National Council of Churches in India organized a rally and a sit in protest demanding Scheduled Caste Status to Christians of Scheduled Caste origin. This was held at New Delhi on 24^th of February 2009 protesting against the delay of the Union government on the issue of granting Scheduled Caste status to Christians of Scheduled caste origin. The Constitution Scheduled Caste Order 1950 restricted Scheduled Caste status only to Scheduled Caste who profess Hinduism and later on to Scheduled Castes professing Sikhism and Buddhism were added. Dalit Christians have been denied the rights for the last fifty nine years. Justice Ranganath Misra Commission stated that non inclusion of Scheduled Caste Christians in the Scheduled Caste list is a discrimination based on religion and goes against the articles 14, 15 and 25 of the Constitution of India. Religion must be de-linked from caste. But, it is very unfortunate that the Union Government has shelved this report and makes the 6 million Scheduled Caste Christians continue to suffer unjustly. The Writ petition filed in the Supreme Court in 2004 is unduly delayed because of the indifference of the Union Government to give a reply to the Supreme Court. Meanwhile the National Commission for Scheduled Castes has recommended that Scheduled Caste reservation must be extended to the Scheduled Caste Christians. The National Commission for Minorities too has supported the demand.