First Victory for Dalit Christians, long battle ahead

Dalit Christians welcome Misra Report
Chennai, May 22: National Integration Council member Dr John Dayal, President of the AICU and secy general, All India Christian Councul, Union of Dalit Movements India national coordinator Advocate Edward M Arokiadoss andothers have welcomed the recommendations of the Justice Misra Commission accepting the grant of Scheduled Caste status to Christians and Muslims of Dalit origin.In a press statement here, Ad Arokiadoss, Catholic Union leader Lion C Francis and National Integration Council member Dr John Dayal, President AICU, expressed the hope that the Supreme Court will also accept the demand of Dalit Christians when it begins hearing on their writ in July.The Dalit Christian leaders were in Chennai from their meeting in Yellagiri which called for a sustained mass movement to see that the government finally implemented the recommendations of the National Commission for Religious and Linguistic minorities headed by retired Supreme court chief justice Rangnath Misra.The Union and its allied organizations also condemned NCRLM secretary Asha Das’s negative report that spoke of the orthodox mentality which wanted to deny the Dalits their rights under the Christians.It may be recalled that the National Commission for Religious and Linguistic Minorities has backed the demand for extending reservation benefits to Dalit converts to Christianity and Islam. The panel has said that a clause in Constitution (SCs) Order of 1950, which restricts the SC net to Hindus, Sikhs and Buddhists, should be dropped to delink SC status from religion. NCRLM Member secretary Asha Das has dissent, arguing that extending SC status to Christians and Muslims would amount to inserting caste in religions, which don't recognise it. She has questioned the propriety of Parliament or judiciary to change the tenets of religion. The ticklish issue is at the prime minister's doorsteps, to which the NCRLM has submitted the report. The Sachar panel, which was asked to go into the matter, left the decision for NCRLM. The Dalits have faced vehement opposition from the saffron brigade who argue that it would encourage religious conversions of Hindus since exclusion of Dalit converts from SC list acts as a deterrent. “We support the demand raised by Pasmanda Muslim Mahaz and Rajya Sabha MP Anwar Ali that 1950 Presidential Order barring Muslims and Christians from SC list be revoked immediately to ensure them SC status and benefits.” The statement said. Th National Commission headed by Justice Rangnath Misra and comprising Tahir Mahmood, Mohinder Singh and Anil Wilson, has termed the exclusion of Dalits from SC list after conversion out of Hinduism as violative of constitutional guarantee of non-discrimination on religious grounds. The commission was unanimous, barring Asha Das who felt SC list was basically a Hindu issue. Tracing the history of SCs, she said British first categorised 17 occupational groups as "depressed classes" and fixed criterion of social relations to avoid confusion with followers of non-Hindu religions. NCRLM has also said that 15% seats in states and Centre should be reserved for minorities with 10% for Muslims and rest for others. For educational uplift, it has demanded that a law should be enacted to set aside 15% seats in all non-minority institutions for minorities, with 10% for Muslims.
Released to the Press by Adv Arokiadoss and Dr. John Dayal,