NCCI joins NCDC to include Dalit Christians and Dalit Muslims in Scheduled Caste list

The outcry of the Dalits has always been suppressed in different ways by the dominant hierarchical groups in India. The sheer interference in letting them accept a religion which breaks the bondage of caste and treats them equally comes in the limelight when it tries to uplift them from their suppression. But the tyranny of caste still remains with them as these chains does not leave them free. The reservation policies made to uplift the subaltern groups not only provides them a social status but also uplifts them from their social identity. In this times of trials and tribulations the Dalit Christians and Muslims have faced the termination of enjoying the equal rights which their brothers and sisters of similar identity holds in other faiths especially in Hindu, Buddhist and Sikh religions.

In order to address and repeal the Presidential Order, 10^thAugust 1950 Paragraph 3, a rally was organized by National Council of Dalit Christians (NCDC), an umbrella organization with the participation of various Dalit Christian groups; National Council of Churches in India; Catholic Bishop’s Conference of India (CBCI) and the All India Jamiat Ul-Hawareen (AIJH) a Muslim organization participated in the protest rally on 12^th March 2019 from Janpath Metro Station to Jantar Mantar, New Delhi. The rally and dharna took place from 10 am to 4 pm at the Jantar Mantar complex. The rally witnessed a great response gathering of hundreds of participants from across the country. The protestors carried placards and banners that read the responses and demands of both the Dalit Christians and Dalit Muslim groups against the infamous Presidential Order issued on 10^th August 1950.

It was yet another time to highlight the issue of the partiality faced by the Dalit Christians and Muslims since last six decades. There were speeches and slogans given by various groups in different languages coming from different parts of India. The spoke persons highly criticized the way; the present government gave 10% reservation to the economically weak upper caste which completely disregards that very aim of reservation which was given on the basis of social inequality and not on economic inequality. There was a strong sense of unity and togetherness messages which were propagated throughout the rally. The words of motivation and encouragement by various Church leaders, Dalit activists, Dalit Muslim activists and Government officials on minority rights and the invited spokes persons provided a great impetus to the rally in various ways. It was yet another time to send a strong message to all the political parties and groups to review and to take immediate action on the infamous bill which clearly does injustice to the Dalit Christians and Muslims and to include this pertinent issue in their election manifesto for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections 2019.

Pradip Bansrior
Executive Secretary
Dalit and Tribal/ Adivasi Concerns
National Council of Churches in India