Indian Court Deliberates Dalit Christians' Equal Rights Demand
by Allie Martin and Jenni Parker
October 25, 2005
(AgapePress) - The Supreme Court of India could soon decide to forward a case to the nation's Parliament -- a case the outcome of which may extend civil rights to Christians in that society's lowest social class. For decades now, Christians in India's lowest caste, known as Dalits, have been denied the right to hold government jobs or to receive many other benefits and privileges enjoyed by Dalits of other faiths. That could change, however, if new legislation granting basic rights to Dalit Christians is approved. Last week, India's Supreme Court said it would hear the matter this week and possibly forward it to Parliament. (See related story)
Officially, the Indian government forbids caste-based discrimination. The traditional lower castes are provided socio-economic opportunities through a system called "reservations," a sort of affirmative action program in which the various caste members are provided with quotas in jobs and educations. However, the Indian government stipulated years ago that Christians Dalits would not be afforded even the most basic rights in society, and would not have access to the benefits of the quota system.
Nicki Humphreys is with the Dalit Freedom Network, a group that works to empower the Dalits in their quest for social freedom and human dignity. She says under current conditions in India, Dalit Christians are considered less than human.
"The benefits have been denied to those who have said they are Christians -- who have come out and really confessed their faith -- and this isn't right," Humphreys explains. "If someone is a Christian, they should be able to have the same rights as anyone else professing another religion.
"And if the new civil rights legislation does pass," the Network spokeswoman adds, "then many who maybe have not admitted that they are Christians will come out and freely be able to express their faith." She feels the indications are positive in light of the fact that India's highest court has agreed to take up the matter at all, as well as what the judges have expressed so far.
"The Supreme Court is saying that, if this is true that the Dalit Christians were denied their affirmative action, that Parliament should not deny them their due rights and benefits, and so they're willing to now at least take it a step further," Humphreys says. "It has not been dismissed, which is a good thing."
Human rights and religious freedom activists have pointed out that, while amendments to India's Protection of Civil Rights Act have ensured that Dalit Sikhs and Buddhists were covered by the definition of "persons" mentioned in that law, Dalit Christians have enjoyed no such protection. It is the Dalit Freedom Network's hope that the Supreme Court of India will acknowledge the injustice of the current situation and urge Parliament to redress the discrimination.
