Christian Dalits pin hope on Misra panel report
P KrishnaswamyFirst Published : 28 Dec 2009 02:47:00 AM ISTLast Updated :
MADURAI: Though many Dalits converted to Christianity to escape the
atrocities committed against them by the so called persons of high
castes, they continue to suffer the same disabilities as before and
bear the stigma of Dalits.
Their conversion has made no difference for them in the society. But
what had added to their woes was an edict issued by the Rashtrapathi
Bavan in 1950 which took them out of the scheduled caste list thus
denying them the protection and privileges available to the Hindu and
Sikh Dalits.
They have been fighting for the revocation of the edict so that they
could enjoy the protection under the various Acts. But so far this had
not materialised.
Christian Dalits are confident that if the recommendations by the
Justice Ranganath Misra Commission, the report of which was tabled in
both the Houses of Parliament last week, are implemented by the
Government, then a historical injustice done to them would be
rectified.
The National Commission for Religious and Linguistic Minorities set up
in 2004, chaired by former Chief Justice of India Justice Ranganath
Misra provides a ray of hope for these Dalits.
The Commission in its report says that a Schedule Caste who coverts to
Christianity and Islam is denied the status of Scheduled Caste on the
ground that unlike converts to Buddhism and Sikhism which are
offshoots of Hinduism, Christianity and Islam were imported religions.
The panel has held that, "this argument does not hold much validity
since the demand is to deal with caste related problem which persist
despite conversion, in all its severity and that it had been clearly
stated in the Parliament Act 15 of 1990 that 'change of religion does
not alter one's social and economic conditions". A workshop was also
organised by the commission.
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