Indian Catholic women hail election of dalit woman as speaker

(June 4, 2009) Christian women in India hailed the elevation of a dalit woman as speaker of the lower house of India's Parliament. Meira Kumar, 64, was elected unopposed June 3 as speaker of the Lok Sabha, the lower house of Parliament. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and opposition leader L.K. Advani led her to the chair, reported the Asian church news agency UCA News. Sister Lilly Francis, a member of the Sisters Minor of the Mary Immaculate and secretary of the Indian bishops' commission on women, said Kumar's election shows there is gradual and steady growth in gender sensitivity in the country. People now respect women's participation in all fields, Sister Lilly said. While congratulating Kumar, Singh noted she had made history by becoming the first woman and second dalit to occupy the prestigious post in India's 62 years of independence. Sister Jessy Kurian, a member of the National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions, said women in "such powerful posts" would improve gender justice. Dalit denotes people formerly known as untouchables in India's caste system. Kumar comes from a community of cobblers.