a rally calling for genuine religious freedom in India, Christian activists said Tuesday, October 10.
The ‘World Religious Freedom Day’ demonstration will be held Saturday, October 14, in Nagpur, the largest city in central India in the western state of Maharashtra, said Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) a major advocacy group supporting the event.
"The demonstration is co-sponsored by CSW partner, the All India Christian Council (AICC), and marks the fiftieth anniversary of Dalit icon Dr B.R. Ambedkar’s ceremonial departure from the Hindu caste system by embracing Buddhism," CSW said.
MASS CONVERSION
CSW said the rally will include "a mass conversion ceremony" led by Dalit leader and politician Udit Raj, chair of the All India Confederation of Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes Organizations."
It was not clear whether the ceremony will be limited to a religious name change from ‘Hindu’ to ‘Christian’ or involve an invitation for a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, which evangelicals say is crucial to be a true Christian.
However there were some indications that the rally would be a more ecumenical event with CSW saying that "the rally is supported by Buddhist, Christian, Muslim, Sikh and Hindu leaders" with international observers. "High-profile attendees will include legislators and Bollywood actors," the group added.
FRIDAY SYMPOSIUM
The event was to be preceded on Friday, October 13, by an invitation-only symposium for key Indian activists and international partners to discuss global efforts to emancipate Dalits.
CSW said that Saturday’s rally takes place against "the backdrop of increased antagonism to conversions from Hindu extremists." It said that during 2006, the opposition Hindu Nationalist Party (BJP) has either introduced or strengthened existing anti-conversion legislation in each of the states in which it holds power. The conversions of Dalits and other vulnerable groups are particularly restricted, with four of the six anti-conversion laws stipulating harsher punishments where the convert is a Dalit, tribal, female or a minor.
EXTREMIST GROUPS
"Hindu extremist groups have also targeted Dalit converts to minority religions, particularly Christianity, in violent attacks which are often committed with impunity," CSW added.
Joseph D’Souza, President of the AICC and Dalit Freedom Network (DFN), said, "India’s Dalits are taught by the Hindu caste system that their fight against injustice is contempt for the divine. I urge the global community to stand in solidarity with the Dalits as they seek liberation from caste-based discrimination and modern-day slavery."
He said that his group believes this "peaceful rally will be the start of a nationwide movement promoting the most basic human right – the freedom of conscience and the ability to choose one’s religion. The citizens of India will overturn these anti-conversion laws through an unrelenting campaign in the media, in the courts, and in civic life."
SELF-APPOINTED NAME
‘Dalit’ is the self-appointed name for the group at the base of the Hindu caste ladder. Dalits, also known as ‘the untouchables’ in India number up to 180 million people in India, according to estimates. Human rights groups and church leaders say Dalits are consistently compelled to perform the most menial, degrading and dangerous tasks in Indian society, including street sweeping and manual scavenging, as a consequence of their caste group. Those who are more educated often find their careers hampered by their caste.
"Dalits often live in some degree of segregation from the "upper" castes and are still considered to be a ‘polluting’ influence. They are also the chief victims of the most serious human rights abuses in India, including bonded labor, human trafficking and religious violence," CSW said.
Although caste discrimination is pervasive in Indian society, religious conversions are perceived to be one of the means for Dalits to escape the caste system.
