Federal minister releases book on dalit plight

May 19, 2012: A book highlighting the plight of dalits in India was released in New Delhi on Friday. Titled ‘God's Own Untouchables’ written by Ulahannan Thoppil, a lay catholic, was released by Federal Minister K V Thomas at a function in the Press Club of India.

Thoppil said in his 312-page book he has attempted to highlight the below-the-surface caste tensions prevalent among the Syrian Christians of South Indian state of Kerala.

The author, a product of Faculty of Management Studies Delhi, narrates the conflict between Rome and local Church authorities in making the lower caste a bishop. Thomas, Minister of State in the Ministry of Agriculture and Minister of State in the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, said that he hopes the book will help the dalits.

John Dayal, a member of the national integration council said this book is a “wake up-call” to the Church in the country. Lauding the initiative, Dayal, who is also a member of the All India Christian Council (AICC), said “it will lead to some reform in the church toward the dalit community”. Fr George Plathottam, secretary of the Media Office of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India, described the book as a “power breaking passage”.

The Salesian priest said “to bring changes in the lives of dalit community we have to change the mindset of people and literature can do a lot.” Dalit is a designation for a group of people traditionally regarded as "untouchable".