Dalit Christian organisations demand Para 3 amendment 

They submitted a representation to the Commission examining whether Scheduled Caste status should be accorded to Dalits who converted to other religions, other than Buddhism and Sikhism

Dalits following Christianity must be accorded Scheduled Caste status, the way Dalits following Sikh and Buddhism were granted after amendments to Article 341 in 1956 and 1990 respectively, a group of Dalit Christian organisations demanded.

Led by All India United Christian Movement for Equal Rights (AIUCMER), Telangana United Christians and Pastors Association (TUCPA), and senior bishops, the delegation met former Chief Justice of India K.G. Balakrishnan, chairman of the 2022-K.G. Balakrishnan Commission, in Delhi on Saturday.

The Commission, due to submit its report later this year, is examining whether Scheduled Caste status should be accorded to Dalits who converted to other religions, other than Buddhism and Sikhism.

According to the representation, the Constitutional mandate of Para 1 and Para 2 in the amendment of Article 341 (1) was fulfilled, but Para 3, which states, “Notwithstanding the above classification” and prescribing Scheduled Castes must belong to a particular religion remains communal. It violates the tenets of equality, discrimination based on religion, equality of opportunity, among other principles, they said.

It supported its cause and said that various Commissions — Mandal, Kaka Kalelkar, Justice Ranganath Misra — noted that disabilities of the SCs continued irrespective of conversion to other religions, including Christianity.

According to the petitioners, the three-member Commission, with members Ravindra Kumar Jain and Sushma Yadav, will soon hold public hearings in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh and record opinions.

President (AIUCER) Jose Daniel, Goneh Solomon Raj of TUCPA, Bishop Veeraji Panta Israel, M. Prabhu Kumar of Dalit Christian Movement, Babu Rao, Antony Raju Thumma, Norbat, Libania, and others were present.

Published - October 13, 2024 09:27 pm IST