Bishops, priests arrested at dalit rally

(March 06, 2010) Police arrested hundreds including Catholic bishops and priests Friday in Chennai as thousands gathered for the culmination of a month-long dalit rally, a Church official said. Police have detained Archbishop A. M. Chinnappa of Madras Mylapore, several bishops and some thousand people, said Father G. Cosmon Arokiaraj, secretary of Indian bishops’ commission for dalit Christians. “They are kept inside marriage hall as police cannot take the large number of people to jail,” he added. Thousands of Christians gathered in Chennai to conclude a “long march” that Catholics and Protestants together organized demanding quota for dalit Christians. The “long march,” began February 10 in Kanniakumari with some 50 people walking to state capital. They reached Chennai Friday as planned. The organizers planned to end the march with massive public meeting and presenting a memorandum. The 50 people began a march through the streets of Chennai. “But police objected and arrested morning Bishop Anthonisamy Neethinathan” of Chingelpet who joined the team in Chennai, Father Arokiaraj said. The bishop’s arrest made “more bishops, priests, nuns and join the marchers’ team, which soon swelled into some thousand people. The chief minister was also not prepared to meet the delegation of Bishops and leaders, the priest said. The marchers have demanded the federal government to implement the Ranganath Misra Commission report that recommends extending the quota to all dalit regardless of religion.