In a statement monitored by BosNewsLife, the National Coordination Committee for Dalit Christians (NCCDC) said the rally came as church leaders are anxiously awaiting a decision by the government on whether to grant Dalit Christians the same affirmative action benefits to Dalits of other faith.
A report of India’s National Commission for Religious and Linguistic Minorities, had in May favored affirmative action benefits for Dalit converts to Christianity in a report, however the government said it wanted to postpone its decision till at least January as it also awaited advises from another commission.
It came as a setback for organizers of Thursday’s pro-Dalit rally. Hindu Dalits were already seen as the ‘lowest caste’ in India’s ancient system of Hinduism, and Christians suffer even more, they said.
DENIED CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS
"Dalit Christians for the last 56 years are denied constitutional rights, their religious freedom, and deprived of equal rights, opportunities and legal protection," said the NCCDC.
"For the last five and a half decades Dalits are demanding equality of Rights." he explained.
"They are an oppressed lot. We request the Government of India to listen to the voice of Dalit Christians and stop exploiting the goodwill of Minorities," added Archbishop Vincent Concessao of Archdiocese Delhi in a statement.
MORE VIOLENT ATTACKS
Dalit and other Christians have also increasingly become the target of attacks by militants in India, especially in rural areas several human rights groups said. This month, a mob allegedly led by a Hindu extremist group demolished a house church and beat the pastor and believers on November 19 in Chhattisgarh state’s Bastar district.
The following day, a young relative of the pastor allegedly kidnapped by the extremists was reportedly found dead in a nearby jungle. The attack on the Christ Missionary Movement church took place in Mandwa village near Jadgalpur area of Bastar, Christians said. The body of 21-year-old Aayatu Kashyap, a Christian and distant relative of the church’s pastor, Suduru Kashyap, was found about 15 kilometers (nine miles) from the village, news reports said.
Police officials have denied Hindu militants were involved. (With reporting BosNewsLife Research and reporting from India).
