‘Black Day’ For India’s Suffering Dalits
By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
NEW DELHI (Worthy News) – Indian Christians have observed an annual “Black Day” to remember suffering Christians and Muslims among Dalits consigned by the Hindu hierarchy to the dirtiest occupations.
Dalits once called the “untouchables,” suffered discrimination for centuries as they were seen as outcastes under India’s ancient system of Hinduism. Eventually, Hindu, Sikh, and Buddhist Dalits were given special protections and benefits by the assigned due to their status as “Scheduled Castes.”
August 10 marks the day that a presidential decree was issued in 1950 denying the same Scheduled Caste status to Christian and Muslim Dalits. This was done because their religions do not recognize the Hindu caste system.
Thursday’s protest marches, rallies, and debates across the country came as different Christian denominations seek equal benefits in jobs and educational institutions for Dalit Christians, who experts say form 75 percent of India’s 25 million Christian population.
Several activists and protesters also want Muslims to have similar rights.
In New Delhi, the capital, delegates of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI), National Council of Churches in India, and National Council of Dalit Christians observed a “silent protest” outside the Sacred Heart Cathedral, Catholic sources said.
CATHEDRAL PROTEST
The rally was held at the cathedral “after permission was denied to hold it at the Jantar Mandar, a place earmarked for protests in the national capital,” reported Catholic news agency Asia News.
“Unfortunately, Christian and Muslim Dalits still face the same discriminatory challenges as other Dalits, despite their identities as Christians and Muslims,” said advocacy group International Christian Concern (ICC).
“Churches of all denominations in the country are in favor of giving Dalit Christians their due,” added Vijay Kumar Nayak, a priest and secretary of the Indian Catholic Bishops’ Office for Dalits and Lower Classes.
“We have mobilized the masses and put pressure on the constitutional bodies to look into the matter,” he added.
ICC said the issue of providing Schedule Caste status to Christian and Muslim Dalits is pending before India’s Supreme Court.
“Christian and Muslim Dalits argue that Scheduled Caste status should be afforded to their communities as they face the same discrimination as Hindus, Sikhs, and Buddhists,” ICC explained.
“Our peaceful protests will continue till we get justice,” Nayak said in published remarks. “We have high hopes our case may come up for hearing before the Supreme Court in India this year.” Till that time, discrimination against millions of Dalits, many of them Christians, will continue, Christians fear.
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