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| Recognising
Dalit Christians Sir, Mr R K Sher is definitely wanting in historical facts (Your mail column October 19) making him reject in one flow of his pen the contention that those of the Dalits who have chosen over the years Lord Jesus Christ as their Lord and saviour should be treated at par with their counterparts in other religions. He does not stop here. He calls Christianity a foreign plant growing on the Indian soil. He castigates all those who Baptise the Dalits to make them follow Jesus Christ. Who are the Dalits? The answer is candid and simple. Over 3,000 years ago, the Aryans enforced their victory over the Dravidians by creating the caste hierarchy. Initially a person's caste was determined by the work one performed in society, but it later became hereditary. The upper-caste hegemony was further strengthened by restrictions on the transfer of knowledge, a water-tight division of labour, control over major factors of production and various social and cultural structures. The economically backward and those who opposed the Aryan invaders were relegated to a position "OUTSIDE'' the caste system. These, then, were the untouchables-the Harijans, Pariahs, Depressed Classes, Scheduled Castes, etc--as society has sometimes seen fit to call them. But the term "Dalit'' that is being used today is a name that they have given themselves. It is derived from the Sanskrit word 'dal' which means 'torn-asunder' or 'broken'. In most Indian languages, 'Dalits' represent opporessed, the downtrodden. The Dalits have been oppressed and alienated by society for the past 3,000 years. The Dalit converted to Christianity are discriminated against; their right for reservation as Scheduled Caste is refused by the Government in the name of religion. The denial of reservation benefits to Dalit Christians is a gross violation of Articles 14,15,16 and 25 of the Constitution of India which ensures equal opportunities and freedom of religion. It is also against Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Dalit Christians suffer the same social, educational and economic disabilities as their counterparts in other religions. The change of religion has not changed their social, educational and economic status. Dr B.R. Ambedkar asked: "Has Christianity been able to save the convert from the sufferings and the ignominy which is the misfortune of every one who is born an untouchable?'' After giving several examples, he concluded: "Conversion has not brought about any change in the social status of the untouchable convert. To the general mass of the Hindus, the untouchable remains an untouchable even though he becomes a Christian.'' (Speeches and writings of Dr Ambedkar-Vol V). Gandhi Ji said: "Whether a Harijan is a Christian, Muslim, Hindu or Sikh, he is still a Harijan. He cannot change his spots inherited from Hinduism. He may change his garb an call himself a Catholic Harijan, or a Muslim Harijan, or Neo-Muslim or Neo Sikh, but his untouchability will haunt him during his life-time.'' (Harijan-December 26, 1936). In the honourable Supreme Court of India majority judgement in the Mandal Case (November 30, 1992) 8 out of 9 Judges held that the change of religion does not change Caste: "THE CHANGE OF RELIGION DID NOT ALWAYS SUCCEED IN ELIMINATING CASTES. THE CONVERTS CARRIED WITH THEM THEIR CASTES AND OCCUPATIONS TO THE NEW RELIGIONS. THE RESULT HAS BEEN THAT EVEN AMONG SIKHS, MUSLIMS AND CHRISTIANS, CASTEISM PREVAILS IN VARYING DEGREES IN PRACTICE, THEIR PREACHING NOTWITHSTANDING, CASTEISM HAS THUS BEEN THE BANE OF THE ENTIRE INDIAN SOCIETY, THE DIFFERENCE IN ITS RIGIDITY BEING OF A DEGREE VARYING FROM RELIGION TO RELIGION AND FROM REGION TO REGION. "The Constitution makers also ensured social justice to all the weaker sections by the Articles on Positive Reservations (Articles 15(2) (b) (4), 16 (4), 330, 332, 340, 341 & 342). Our constitution provided reservation to all SCs/STs irrespective of religion and did not discriminate against Dalit Christians. The basis adopted for reservation was only caste and backwardness, not religion. This is the reason that some Kashmiri Pandits are also treated as from backward Class inspite of the fact that the community is highly literate and does not believe in Caste System. True religion is a bridge
between man and god. It is available to any human being.
Truth that is religion cannot be considered foreign. A
religion, if available to all, is by its very nature
Universal. Christians are found in every nation in the
world and they have become part and parcel of that
culture. |
