Campaign continues for dalit rights

(March 13, 2010) Bishops, pastors and lay leaders of Catholic and Protestant Churches joined in a seminar seeking ways to overcome socio-religious discriminations of dalit Christians. The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India and the National Council of Churches in India organized the last weekend seminar in New Delhi. They discussed “Building Inclusive India: Overcoming Social and Religious Discriminations” in the particular context of inequality suffered by dalit people. Father G. Cosmon, secretary of CBCI commission for dalit Christians and other oppressed class people, said the seminar primarily aimed to seek ways to press the government to extend quota for dalit Christians. In December 2009, the report from the National Commission for Religious and Linguistic Minorities, popularly known as the Ranganath Misra Commission, was tabled in parliament. It said denying quota right to dalit among Christians and Muslims on the ground that their religions do not practice caste system violates justice. It recommended quota for these groups. Jesuit Father A.X.J. Bosco, convenor of National Council of Dalit Christians, said “it is very important to carry on the momentum of Christian community” in the context of tabling the Misra commission report. Satish Deshapande, from Delhi University, said, the gap between rich and poor in Muslim community, is narrow, while in Christian community is wider. “So, in Christian community there is no larger consensus with regard to fighting for reservations” to improve their dalit’s future.