Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
New Delhi (Agenzia Fides) – The Catholic Church in India is calling on the government to end legalised discrimination against Dalit Christians: as the Archbishop of Delhi Anil Couto, says it is time to re-introduce for the benefit of Dalit Christians the same dispositions enjoyed by Hindu Dalits, denied for six decades to Christians. “This clearly a case of unjust discrimination on the basis of religion, which cannot exist in a secular nation” he said. The Archbishop refers to a Presidential Order issued in 1950, which granted special guarantees in the field of education, work and social services to promote emancipation and development of Dalit communities, but reserved them only for Dalits of Hindu religion.
Fides was informed that this request has been formulation by Cardinal George Alencherry, Archbishop Major of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church. In the past six decades Christian groups have led campaigns to put an end to this “government discrimination”, however so far India’s governments have failed to adopt any measure in this direction.
The Bishops of India have often focussed on access to rights and equal dignity for religious minorities and on the situation of Dalits. For the Hindu tradition Dalits are people “not born of God” they are not in the caste system which includes Brahmin, warriors, merchants, farmers. Many Dalits embrace the Christian faith because in the Gospel they rediscover their dignity as children of God. Dalits constitute more than 60% of India’s 17 million Catholics. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 20/2/2015)
