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United States Legislators Concerned about Violence Targeting Christians in Orissa
For immediate release
HYDERABAD – September 6, 2008 – Seven United States members of the House of Representatives sent a letter on Sept. 4, 2008, to India’s Ambassador to the U.S., Ronen Sen, expressing concern about attacks on Christians in Orissa state. Also, on Sept. 3, 2008, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom called for action to stop the violence and accountability within India.
There are still sporadic reports of anti-Christian attacks from the eastern state of Orissa. The violence has entered its 15th day despite the emergency deployment of Central law enforcement troops. Attacks began on Aug. 23, 2008, after the murder of a controversial Hindu swami by unknown assailants.
Dr. Joseph D’souza, President of the All India Christian Council (aicc) said, “The global community is alarmed at the breakdown of law and order in Orissa, and rightly so. The widespread, continuing attacks on innocent Christians and violations of their human rights is unprecedented in India’s history. We welcome the concern of US politicians and all global citizens who believe in freedom of religion. As a proud Indian, I’m grieved that our democratic ideals are being hijacked by religious extremists.”
The seven American legislators were: Trent Franks, Chris Smith, Bill Sali, Robert Aderholt, Bob Inglis, Mark Souder, and Joseph R. Pitts. Excerpts of the letter: “We unequivocally condemn the murder of the Swami, yet we are also appalled to see how mob violence has taken root so quickly once again… The reports of brutal killings and the widespread destruction of property…are extremely disturbing and we strongly urge the Government of India to maintain a strong security presence to guarantee the protection of vulnerable communities which are facing the immediate risk of violence and death. …We urge the Government of India to take immediate steps to investigate these events and bring justice for the victims of the violence. In order to prevent future attacks, it is imperative that the government also address the climate fostering these attacks. India, with its great religious diversity, faces considerable challenges with communalism, but a democratic government must work to ensure the security and freedom of all its citizens.”
Past international condemnation includes last week’s statement by the Italian government and the Vatican as well as a joint letter by Human Rights Watch, Christian Solidarity Worldwide, and Dalit Freedom Network to the U.K. Foreign Secretary, U.S. Secretary of State, French Foreign Minister, and European Commissioner for External Relations. “We also welcome the condemnation of the riots by civil society Hindu leaders like Swami Agnivesh, President of the World Council of Arya Samaj, and Mahesh Bhatt, noted Bollywood film producer, and others,” said D’souza. On Friday, Sept. 5, 2008, Swami Agnivesh returned from a fact finding trip to Orissa and told reporters in Delhi that the attacks on Christians were “very similar” to the 2002 violence against Muslims in Gujarat.
On Thursday, Sept. 4, 2008, India’s Supreme Court instructed the Orissa government to control the violence, and the Orissa authorities promised to halt a procession by the VHP (Vishwa Hindu Parishad or World Hindu Council) on Sept. 7, 2008. However, VHP leaders told Indian journalist they still planned to hold the “Shraad Yatra” on the 16th day of the swami’s death, a traditional funeral rite performed by Hindu sadhus. Previously, Christian leaders from all major denominations and church networks called for a day of prayer and fasting across India on Sunday, Sept. 7, 2008.
The Supreme Court was hearing a case filed by Roman Catholic Archbishop Raphael Cheenath of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar seeking a Central government investigation into the riots. The Central government publicly approved the idea, but the Orissa state government must initiate a request for the probe and has, so far, declined. The only other way to start an investigation is through a court order.
On Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2008, Minister of Home Affairs Shivraj Patil visited the epicenter of the violence, Kandhamal District, and promised compensation for the victims.
Lakshmanananda Saraswati, a Hindu swami and VHP leader, was killed by unknown assailants on Aug. 23, 2008. VHP leaders publicly blamed Christians and mobs attacked Christians in at least 12 of 30 districts in the eastern state of Orissa. Christian leaders reported, as of Sept. 3, 2008, at least 4,014 Christian homes destroyed in 300 villages, an estimated 50,000 people displaced, two pastors and 24 other Christians killed, one nun gang raped, and over a hundred churches burned. See dedicated webpage at: http://indianchristians.in/news/content/view/2332/45/
From Dec. 24, 2007-Jan. 2, 2008, attacks in Kandhamal district killed at least four Christians and destroyed over 100 churches and 730 Christian homes. Most of the victims were Dalits, formerly known as untouchables.
The All India Christian Council (http://www.aiccindia.org), birthed in 1998, exists to protect and serve the Christian community, minorities, and the oppressed castes. The aicc is a coalition of thousands of Indian denominations, organizations, and lay leaders.
Posted on: September 9, 2008
India's Supreme Court speaks out on discrimination
Original legal correspondence from The Hindu.
The Supreme Court has deprecated the practice of upper castes denigrating the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes and said “this is a disgrace to our country.”
“Our Constitution provides for equality which includes special help and care for the oppressed and weaker sections who have been historically downtrodden. The SC/ST communities in our opinion are also equal citizens, and are entitled to a life of dignity in view of Article 21 of the Constitution as interpreted by this court,” said a Bench consisting of Justices Altamas Kabir and Markandey Katju.
The Bench was dealing with a criminal appeal whether the use of the word `Chamar’ (an SC name) was an offence attracting the provisions of The Scheduled Castes and The Schedules Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.
Writing the judgment, Justice Katju said: “In the age of democracy, no people and no community should be treated as being inferior. However, the truth is that in many parts of our country persons belonging to the SC/ST are oppressed, humiliated and insulted. This is a disgrace to our country.”
The Bench said: “The caste system is a curse on our nation and the sooner it is destroyed the better. In fact, it is dividing our country at a time when we must all be united as Indians if we wish to face the gigantic problems confronting us – poverty, unemployment, price rise, corruption, etc. The 1989 Act is a salutary legislative measure in that direction.”
The Bench said: “In this connection, it may be mentioned that in America to use the word `nigger’ today for an African-American is regarded as highly offensive and is totally unacceptable, even if it was acceptable 50 years ago. In our opinion, even if the word `Chamar’ was not regarded as offensive at one time in our country, today it is certainly a highly offensive word when used in a derogatory sense to insult and humiliate a person. Hence, it should never be used with that intent.
“In our opinion, calling a member of the Scheduled Caste `Chamar’ with intent to insult or humiliate him in a place within public view is certainly an offence under Section 3(1) (x) of the Act. Whether there was intent to insult or humiliate [a person] by using the word `Chamar’ will, of course, depend on the context in which it was used.”
In the instant case, a case was registered by Vinod Nagar, working as a driver, alleging that Delhi-based Swaran Singh, his wife and daughter insulted him, calling him `Chuda-Chamar.’ The Delhi High Court rejected the appellants’ plea to quash the framing of charge and the present appeal is directed against this judgment. The Bench said: “In a country like ours with so much diversity – so many religions, castes, ethnic and lingual groups, etc. – all communities and groups must be treated with respect, and no one should be looked down upon as inferior. That is the only way we can keep our country united.”
The Bench held that a prima facie case had been made out against Singh’s wife and daughter to proceed further with the trial, but not against him, first appellant.
Posted on: August 20, 2008
Sonia takes on Dalit mantle
Original article from MSN News Online.
Pointing out that Dalits continued to be discriminated and facing atrocities, Congress President and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Thursday pledged to work for empowering them.
“I pledge before you my commitment to work to see to ensure that all Dalits regardless of where they are living in the country are completely empowered,” she told a massive rally at the Marine Drive Grounds here.
Addressing the Kerala Pulayar Mahasabha rally (KPMS) of the Dalits here, she said it was tragic that in several parts of the country, atrocities against Dalits, especially women, were still continuing and they were being discriminated and denied access to education, she said.
The UPA government had introduced a bill in Parliament to give statutory status to reservation in government jobs for Dalits and had launched a special recruitment drive to fill the backlog of reserved vacancies. Over 50,000 vacancies had been filled through direct recruitment or promotions, she said.
Gandhi said a co-ordination committee had been formed for holding talks with industrialists to chart out a voluntary scheme for employment of Dalits in the private sector.”We have been and will remain committed to work for the security and prosperity of the Dalits”, she said. “A great deal needs to be done. The challenge is still ahead of us and will be met,” she said.
Posted on: February 15, 2008
Black Christmas
The police guarding a church at Darigibadi in Phulbani district, on December 26.
On December 24, when the world was preparing to celebrate Christmas, the Kui-speaking tribal people of Orissa’s Kandhamal district were getting ready for a 36-hour bandh beginning the next morning. But even as preparations were on, the bomb of hatred that had been ticking for long went off, ripping the communal fabric of the district.
Trouble apparently began when a section of Hindus opposed the preparations for Christmas. Following this, a group of Christians allegedly attacked Swami Lakshmananda, a local Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader, who was on his way to perform a yagna in the Brahmanigaon area of the district. Activists of the VHP retaliated by setting ablaze churches and other Christian institutions, and houses belonging to members of the community. The VHP also called for a four-hour, State-wide bandh the next day in protest against the attack on its leader. The bandh coincided with the one that was called by the Kui Samaj Samanwaya Samiti.
The Kui Samaj has been agitating against the alleged granting of Scheduled Tribe (S.T.) status to Dalits in the district, which has a sizable Christian population. The vast majority of the Dalits in Kandhamal are Christian whereas only a small section of the tribal population has embraced Christianity. The divide between the tribal people and the Dalits has widened in recent years with the VHP repeatedly contending that religious conversion was at the root of the trouble in the central Orissa district.
As the agitating tribal people felled trees on all roads leading to the district on December 24 night to enforce their bandh beginning from the next day, VHP activists put their organisation’s stamp on the Kui Samaj agitation and went about vandalising churches and prayer houses.
Prayers were not held in any church in Kandhamal on Christmas day. One person was killed and over 30 people were injured in the clashes between the two communities.
Caught unawares, the administration imposed a curfew on Phulbani, the district headquarters, and three other towns – Brahmanigaon, Baliguda and Daringibadi. Prohibitory orders were enforced in the remaining areas of the district. In Bhubaneswar, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik appealed to the people of Kandhamal to maintain peace and harmony.
It was only on December 26 that the State government took up the matter seriously and deployed additional forces in different parts of the district. The situation, however, did not show any improvement as the police could not enter most of the areas because of roadblocks put up by Kui Samaj members.
When Kandhamal was burning, on December 26, leaders of the ruling Biju Janata Dal were busy at a massive rally in the State capital, Bhubaneswar, on the occasion of the 10th foundation day of the party. At the rally, Naveen Patnaik, who is also the BJD president, reiterated his party’s resolve to realise the dream of his father, the late Biju Patnaik, of building a prosperous Orissa.
Patnaik, however, took time off and reviewed the Kandhamal situation at the State Secretariat twice that day. The government said three companies of the Central Reserve Police Force had been called in from other places in the State to restore peace in Kandhamal.
As Kandhamal remained cut off from the rest of the world for the fourth day on December 27, the Chief Minister flew to Phulbani and held a review meeting, which was attended by Director General of Police Gopal Chandra Nanda and top officials of the police and the administration.
On his return, Patnaik told reporters in Bhubaneswar that the situation in the district had normalised to a great extent. Admitting that churches and prayer houses had been damaged or burnt down in the district, he said more than two dozen people were arrested and action was being initiated against the offenders. In reference to the tribal agitation, Patnaik said that his government would look into the grievances and take necessary steps to resolve the issue.
Patnaik, however, appeared to be unaware of the fresh violence that was occurring around the same time in Kandhamal. By evening, reports started pouring in that at least a dozen more churches and prayer houses had been burnt during the day. Besides, three persons were reportedly killed in police firing when an armed mob, said to be VHP supporters, attacked the Brahmanigaon police station. A mob attacked the police station after the police personnel tried to prevent them from attacking members of the Christian community. A senior officer was injured in the police station attack. Fresh trouble began in Brahmanigaon after the body of a child was recovered from the locality earlier in the day.
KAMAL SINGH/PTI
An All India Christian Council demonstration in New Delhi on December 27 demanding that the safety of Christians in Orissa be ensured.
Confirming the death of three persons in police firing, a top official said that the police had opened fire in self-defence. Confronted with reports of the damaging and burning down of more than 40 churches and prayer houses by December 27 evening, he said the exact details were not available. It was difficult for the administration to keep track of incidents taking place in remote hilly areas, he explained.
Police stations were also attacked at Phiringia and Tikabali and many police vehicles were burnt by mobs. It was difficult to assess as to whether the attackers were Sangh Parivar members or Kui tribal people, an official observed.
On December 27, a delegation led by Raphael Cheenath, Archbishop of Cuttack and Bhubaneswar, met the Chief Minister and submitted a memorandum stating that Christians were not safe in Kandhamal. The representatives of the community, who claimed that at least 50 churches had been damaged over the previous four days, also demanded an inquiry by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the incidents. The VHP alleged that Hindu places of worship were also attacked in some places.
As violence continued in Kandhamal, the Opposition parties and other organisations criticised the government for its failure to maintain law and order. They also blamed Patnaik for being soft on the Sangh Parivar because the Bharatiya Janata Party was a partner in the two-party coalition government.
Four days after Kandhamal smouldered, Patnaik went on a damage-control exercise. He ordered a judicial inquiry into the violence in Kandhamal on December 28. He, however, clarified that only one person had been killed in police firing the previous day and not three persons as had been reported in the media. Only one body had been recovered, he added.
Soon after Patnaik ordered the judicial inquiry, Steel and Mines Minister Padmanabha Behera, who hails from the violence-hit district, resigned from his post. The government also appointed a new District Collector for Kandhamal.
The dropping of Behera from the Cabinet was one of the demands put forward by the Kui tribal people. Behera belongs to the Dalit community. The Kuis have also been demanding the appointment of a direct Indian Administrative Service officer as Collector instead of an officer who was promoted to the cadre.
Posted on: January 2, 2008
Over 10,000 Dalits Demand Reservations in the Private Sector, Judiciary, and Armed Forces
Press Release from the All India Christian Council
New Delhi, December 11, 2007 – Over 10,000 Dalits from across India assembled at Ramlila Ground, New Delhi, on December 10, 2007, and pressed the Government of India to provide reservations [affirmative action] in the private sector, judiciary, and armed forces, as well as to enact a reservation bill and fill up the backlog of vacancies for SC/ST [Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribes] employees.
Christian communities, headed by the All India Christian Council (aicc), took part in preparations for the rally and stood in solidarity with the Dalits.
Addressing the rally, Dr. Udit Raj, National Chairman of the All India Confederation of SC/ST Organisations, said, “The UPA [United Progressive Alliance] government has done nothing significant to uplift Dalits so far.”
In a memorandum submitted to Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, Dr. Raj urged the government to implement the Reservation Act without delay and asked why it had not been passed even after the Standing Committee headed by E. M. Sudarsana Nachiyappan had submitted its report in Parliament in 2005.
The memo also demanded the filling of a backlog of vacancies for Dalits in the government sector. Dr. Raj said, “The Prime Minister told me in a recent meeting that 53,000 posts have been filled. But this is nothing considering the number of backlogged posts.”
On reservations in the private sector, Dr. Raj said, “Under pressure from the government and the Confederation, the Committee appointed by the CII [Confederation of Indian Industry] under the chairmanship of J. J. Irani made recommendations to provide education and training to Dalits. So far, little has been done in this regard.”
Dr. Raj also said that out of a total of 610 judges, only 20 belong to the Dalit community. “All judicial services should be introduced as provided under Article 312 of the Constitution to ensure participation of Dalits in the higher judiciary,” he said.
The aicc stands in solidarity with the All India Confederation of SC/ST Organisations’ overall goals and is specifically committed to empower Dalits through education. Members of the aicc have about 70 English-medium schools in Dalit villages across India.
The All India Christian Council (http://www.aiccindia.org), birthed in 1998, exists to protect and serve the Christian community, minorities, and the oppressed castes. The aicc is a coalition of thousands of Indian denominations, organizations, and lay leaders.
Released by
Mr. Madhu Chandra
Regional Secretary, aicc
Posted on: December 16, 2007
Wall Street Journal - Dalit Converts face Discrimination
From the Dalit Freedom Network
DFN International President Joseph D’Souza is quoted in this front-page article from The Wall Street Journal on September 19, 2007. The article contains insightful coverage of the discrimination that Dalit Christians and Muslims face on a daily basis. The Dalit Freedom Network has been advocating on their behalf in the US before the Congress, at the White House, and with the State Department through our advocates in Washington, DC. Additionally, DFN’s partner, the All India Christian Council (aicc) works tirelessly in New Delhi to change state and local Indian laws to better reflect India’s commitment to religious freedom and democracy.
One of the main forms of discrimination against Dalit Christians and Muslims comes from the Reservation system, which the Journal article calls an affirmative action program. The Indian government reserves a percentage of government jobs and university openings for members of the Scheduled Castes and Tribes. Christians and Muslims, however, are strictly excluded from the program. If a Dalit has earned one of these jobs or student positions and then becomes a Christian or Muslim, that person will lose his/her job or position. Thus, many Christian and Muslim Dalits feel compelled to hide their religious identity.
As the article says: “India’s Supreme Court is currently reviewing several challenges filed by Christian and Muslim Dalits that could result in an overturning of the affirmative-action exclusion.” The Supreme Court is supposed to rule on a case on November 28th dealing with Christian Dalits receiving their federal benefits. This judgment has been postponed several times for several different reasons given by the government.
At the core, however, the government has been extremely reluctant to see Reservation benefits extended to Christians and Muslims for fear of losing Hindu support and thus losing their parliamentary majority. DFN and the aicc work closely with Christian and Muslim leaders across India to see Reservation extended to people of all faiths in India.
Joseph D’Souza is quoted near the end of the article in a section discussing the partnership between Muslims and Christians in fighting discrimination. He has gained the attention of international media for his willingness to work with people of all faiths to see religious freedom protected and Untouchability defeated. Dr. D’souza has stood on a platform with Islamic, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist, and secular leaders and spoken on how to fight Dalit discrimination for people of all faiths.
One powerful way in which Dr. D’souza leads joint efforts to address caste is through huge community gatherings in which people from all castes and creeds eat from a common plate of rice and curry; traditionally, Dalits and non-Dalits will not eat together.
“This is a real physical demonstration against caste discrimination,’ says Joseph D’souza, the president of the All-India Christian Council, who has organized many of these gatherings.
There is a related picture set here from The Wall Street Journal.
This media coverage is a confirmation of the importance of the work of the DFN and her partners. We are proud to highlight this article for you with the hope that you will share with others.
For more information or to contact Dr. D’souza, please email to or call 1-866-921-1333
Posted on: October 5, 2007
Tamil Nadu gives rights to religious minorities, but needs to grant Dalit rights
[Editor’s Note: The following is an abridged press release issued by Dr. John Dayal, Member of the National Integration Council, Secretary General of the All India Christian Council, and President of the All India Catholic Union, in response to the announcement of the Tamil Nadu government on Sept. 13, 2007 that it will give a seven percent quota for Muslims and Christians as part of an existing program for “Backward Communities”. Now Dalit and non-Dalit members of the Muslim and Christian faith will have increased opportunities. However, this doesn’t address the core issue of equal rights for Dalits of all faiths.]
The Christian community in Tamil Nadu will surely welcome the decision of the state government to provide a reservation (affirmative action) within the existing Backward Communities reservations. We also welcome the Chief Minister’s exhortation to the Central government to grant similar rights to Christians and Muslims elsewhere.
On the face of it, reservations on the basis of religion may seem an anathema in non-sectarian India where the Constitution guarantees equality in all sectors of life. However, in most states, there is a wide chasm between the privileged castes and communities, and religious minorities and others who have minimal representation in state employment and developmental resources.
Tamil Nadu long ago recognised that certain communities suffered from developmental inequities irrespective of their religious affiliations. It also recognised that governments had to make determined thrust to ensure that affirmative action promised in independent India reached these communities and was not diluted because of judicial or administrative ceilings.
However, these new reservations do not quench the demand of the Christians of Dalit origin that they be given the same privileges, including reservations, as are given nationally to Dalits who profess Buddhism, Sikhism or Hinduism.
The lawsuits of several Dalit Christian groups (and at least one Dalit Muslim) are now before the Supreme Court of India. A hearing is expected later this month. In a May 2007 report, the National Commission for Linguistic and Religious Minorities recommended granting all Dalits full rights under the Scheduled Caste laws. Dr. Buta Singh, Chairman of the National Commission on Scheduled Castes is now considering the so-called “Misra Report” and has in his public statements promised full rights to Dalit Christians and Muslims.
Classification under the Scheduled Caste provisions of India’s Constitution is much more than mere reservations in jobs or educational institutions. For example, Scheduled Caste status brings the protection of law to Muslims and Christians, to their widows, and those injured in caste violence. At present, Christian Dalits suffer as much as anyone else in caste violence, but are unelgible for relief.
The Tamil Nadu government must tell the Central government that their credibility suffers if Scheduled Caste status is not given to Dalit Muslims and Christians because of their religious affiliation.
Posted on: September 15, 2007
US House of Representatives Passes Historic Resolution on Untouchability
by Ben Marsh, Social Justice Coordinator, Dalit Freedom network
July 23, 2007
House Concurrent Resolution 139 (see downloadable file below) is the First Official Statement on Untouchability by US Congress
Washington, DC – The House of Representatives today passed HCR 139, “expressing the sense of the Congress that the United States should address the ongoing problem of untouchability in India,” by voice vote this afternoon.
The resolution is the first of its kind from the United States Congress. Sponsored by Congressman Trent Franks and Co-Sponsored by thirty-three leading human rights advocates in Congress including Congressman Tom Lantos, Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, the bill contains historic language on untouchability in India, including a lengthy findings section detailing the effects of untouchability and caste abuse on outcastes in India.
The resolution calls on the United States government to work with India to address the problem of untouchability by raising the issue of caste discrimination through diplomatic channels and encouraging US businesses, USAID, the State Department, and other US programs and organizations working in India to take every possible measure to ensure Dalits are included and are not discriminated against in their programming.
“We have seen history made in this resolution,” said Nanci Ricks, Executive Director of the Dalit Freedom Network. “This resolution should encourage all Dalits suffering under caste discrimination in India. The United State Congress has heard of the atrocities of caste and has responded. We hope that the United States Government and US businesses working in India will heed this statement by the House and will join with the Dalit Freedom Network in fighting the effects of caste across India.”
Dr. Joseph D’souza, President of the Dalit Freedom Network, praised the leadership of Congressman Franks and the many others whose active support of the Dalit cause made HCR 139 possible: “without the leadership of Members of Congress like Congressmen Franks, Wolf, Smith, Sali, Tancredo, Pitts, and Congresswoman Kilpatrick in sponsoring Dalit events, film screenings, and hearings and directing their staff to advocate on this issue with vigilance, this historic moment would have never happened. They and the many others who have worked to make this resolution a reality have earned the gratitude of millions of Dalits across India.”
The resolution will face a concurring vote from the Senate soon.
The Dalit Freedom Network’s mission is to partner with the Dalits (India’s Untouchables) in their quest for religious freedom, social justice, and human dignity by mobilizing human, informational, and financial resources.
Download House Concurrent Resolution 139
Posted on: July 23, 2007
Reservation for Dalits: SC directs govt to take decision on recommendations of R N Misra Committee
From Indlawnews.com
AICC Editor note:
Hi Friends,
India’s Dalit Christians are once again disappointed at the hearing of Supreme Court of India on July 19 by giving 8 weeks time to Indian Government to take decision on Mrisa Commission Report on whether the Scheduled Caste origins who are converted to Christians should be given the Scheduled Caste status as it is given to Sikh and Buddhist Scheduled caste members.
Indian Churches need to answer the question asked by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan on Caste existence within Indian church. Social Scientists, Researchers, Activists have found out that caste exists within Indian church. Non scheduled caste/tribe leadership of Indian churches need to confess that caste exists within Indian church. Not to get judgment in our favor but to tell the reality.
Senior advocate Ram Jethmalani responded to Senior Shanti Bushan presentation of the case that it is political power that has kept the Dalit Christians away from Presidential Order list.
Interestingly, Additional solicitor general Gopal Subramaniam said that the matter of granting Scheduled Caste status to Dalit origins converted to Christianity must be consulted to Scheduled Caste Commission, who have actually said not in favor of Dalit Christians earlier.
“How long will the Dalit Christians’ birth, fundamental and constitutional rights be kept denial?” is the million dollar question, Indian Dalits are asking for last 57 years.
Madhu Chandra
19 July 2007
The Supreme Court has directed the central government to take a final decision within eight weeks on the recommmendations of Justice R N Misra committee recommending that benefits of SC/ST reservations should also be extended to dalits belonging to all religions including dalit christians at par with the SCs including Hindus, Sikhs and Buddhists.
A counsel for the “Petitioner Organisation Centre For Public Interest Litigation” contended before the bench comprising Chief Justise K G Balakrishnan, Justices R V Raveendran and Dalveer Bhandari that the UPA government was deliberately delaying the decision on the recommendations of Rangnath Misra committee submitted to the government in May 2007.
Senior counsel Shanti Bhushan also contended before the court that only the Christain dalits are being denied the benefits SC reservation which is discriminatory and violative of Article 14 of the constitution.
After hearing the counsel and the Additional Solicitor- General appearing for the centre issued the directions when it was brought to the courts’ notice that earlier Congress and National Front government had already introduced a bill in parliament for the implementation of the long standing demands of Christians.
Posted on: July 20, 2007
Gujjar unrest: Life in Delhi paralysed
From the Times of India. Click here for full story
NEW DELHI: There was chaos in the Indian Capital and its suburbs on Monday with Gujjars demanding Scheduled Tribe status blocking highways, burning buses, disrupting road and rail traffic and inconveniencing thousands of commuters.
Life in much of the Capital and its surrounding areas was paralysed with Gujjars demanding a change in their status and the resultant quotas in jobs and education taking to the streets during the daylong protest.
“We used mild baton charge and fired teargas shells in Badarpur and Mehrauli areas in south Delhi after protesters started throwing stones on policemen,” a senior police official said.
However, the situation was gradually coming under control, he said.
“After the morning’s incidents, we have managed to clear roads and traffic movement is smooth everywhere,” he claimed.
But train traffic was thrown completely out of gear as the movement spilled over from Rajasthan.
Northern Railway cancelled seven trains, including the Shatabdi Express, Sampark Kranti Express and the Jaipur-Delhi-Jaipur express, after the protesters blocked tracks near Ajaibpur and Dadri in Uttar Pradesh.
At least 25 trains – among them the Haridwar-Ahmedabad mail and the Ahmedabad Rajdhani Express – were also affected due to protests.
“We have cancelled seven passenger trains to avoid any damage to life and property. The action was taken in the wake of the ongoing agitation,” said Rajesh Khare, a spokesperson of Northern Railway.
Special trains to the Rajasthan capital Jaipur have been planned for the convenience of passengers.
Monday began with thousands of protesters blocking vehicular movement on the Delhi-Karnal highway, Gurgaon-Faridabad highway and roads coming in from the satellite towns of Faridabad and Gurgaon, leading to many thousands stuck in traffic snarls.
Angry mobs gathered near Aya Nagar in south Delhi, close to the suburb of Gurgaon, stoned the police and set at least two Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) buses on fire. The protesters shouted slogans and burnt effigies of Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje.
There were similar incidents in every corner of the Capital. Buses were burnt near the border with Uttar Pradesh in east Delhi’s Ghazipur and Khajoori Khas areas.
The Delhi-Noida border near Dallupura and the Delhi-Ghaziabad border near Loni also witnessed people burning tyres and blocking roads.
Traffic came to a standstill on the vital Noida-Delhi link road near Mayur Vihar in east Delhi as hundreds of protesters ensured that no traffic got through an entire stretch leading up to the Akshardham temple.
Trouble also erupted at the busy Ashram Chowk in south Delhi. Police detained at least 60 members of the Gujjar community from Ghittorni village for blocking the busy Mehrauli-Gurgaon road, trapping office goers on their way to work in the satellite town or those coming into the capital.
There were also protests in Azadpur and Wazirabad in northwest Delhi, Peeragarhi in west and Sonia Vihar in east Delhi.
Following the protests, police beefed up security at roads along the Delhi border with neighbouring states and capital-bound vehicles were diverted.
“We have diverted all vehicles coming from neighbouring states and traffic cops have been stationed at all points to regulate traffic flow,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) H.P.S. Virk said.
On Sunday, Delhi’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) legislator Ramvir Singh Bidhuri led hundreds of people in a protest near Jantar Mantar and in another meeting of the All India Gujjar Mahasabha, where it was decided to call for a shutdown.
The protests that originated May 29 in Rajasthan have also spread to Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. The mass anger is directed against the Rajasthan government for having fired at Gujjar mobs, leaving at least 20 people dead.
Also, five people were killed and 20 injured on Friday in clashes between Gujjars and Meenas in Rajasthan’s Dausa and Karauli districts, taking the death toll to 25.
Posted on: June 4, 2007
India's Bishops Praise U.S. Proposal on Castes
Resolution Decries Plight of Untouchables
MUMBAI, India, Read full article in Zenit News Agency – The World seen from Rome archives for MAY 15, 2007 – The bishops of India welcomed a resolution placed before the U.S. Congress that asked the lawmaking body to encourage an end to India’s caste system.
Republican Congressman Trent Franks of Arizona introduced the resolution May 2. In his presentation he called on “the Indian government and the world community to look with compassion upon India’s untouchables and reach out to one of the most oppressed peoples on earth.’’
In his address to the members of Congress, Franks called the caste system an “abhorrent form of persecution and segregation” that is particularly harsh on India’s Dalits—members of the “untouchable” caste—especially Dalit women.
“This Congress,” Franks argued, “must urge an end to the social discrimination and injustice faced by the nearly 250 million people known as Dalits in India.”
Franks told ZENIT why he brought this issue to light now: “The plight of the ‘untouchables’ in India is truly one of the most critical human rights issues of our time.
“Millions of these individuals are regarded as less than human and live in some of the most wretched conditions known to humanity.
“We are compelled by the unalienable truth that all men are created equal to contend for the rights of the poor and the oppressed, and it is to that end that I have and will continue to stress the urgency of the Dalits’ cause to Congress and to the world.”
Indian response
Although the resolution has not been adopted, AsiaNews reported that the Catholic bishops’ conference of India expressed its gratitude that the issue was brought to public attention.
Father Arokiaraj Cosmon, the executive secretary of the Episcopal Commission on Dalits, explained the tragic nature of the caste system, highlighted in the resolution.
“Dalits’ conditions are well-known both at home and abroad,” the priest said. “They are economically and socially ostracized, denied equal access to education and political life.
“Out of 250 million of them, there are 16 million who are twice as penalized because they are Christian.”
“Most violence visited upon Dalits affects women,” Father Cosmon continued. “They cannot report crimes, especially sex crimes, or ask for police assistance because what they say is not taken into consideration.
“Most lawyers and police officers come from the upper castes and are not well disposed towards victims.”
Still, Father Cosmon insisted that education could aid the plight of the untouchables: “While Dalit women are the most vulnerable group in society, if they can get an education and become aware of their rights, they will be better placed to educate their entire family and contribute to the necessary social and economic empowerment of all Dalits.”
Posted on: May 23, 2007
Panel Tells India's Government a Dalit's Faith Should Not Affect Assistance
NEW DELHI, INDIA – May 22, 2007: The National Commission for Religious & Linguistic Minorities’ oft-delayed report was released and the findings could drastically change life for India’s Dalit (formerly called “untouchables”
community. If the government accepts the Commission’s recommendations, decades of religious-based discrimination against the lowest-strata in India’s society will be reversed.
The Commission said a clause in a 1950 law should be dropped to delink status from religion. The clause had restricted government benefits to Scheduled Castes who are Hindu, Sikh or Buddhist. The Commission’s decision was based on a two-year study of the socio-economic and educational condition of Dalit Christians and Dalit Muslims.
The Supreme Court of India has repeatedly postponed judgments on cases brought by a Dalit Christian and a Dalit Muslim while the report was pending. The plaintiffs had asked for Scheduled Caste status. Scheduled Caste status brings special government benefits to Indians from Dalit, tribal, and low-caste background such as reserved places in education institutions and government jobs.
Dr. Joseph D’souza, International President, Dalit Freedom Network, said, “Finally, the Mishra Commission Report is before India’s Prime Minister and the government. It calls for Dalit Christian and Muslim reservation which was denied since the Order of 1950. It is high time that the government of India reverses the 1950 law which discriminated against Dalits on the basis of religion.”
The “Constitution (Scheduled Caste) Order” of 1950 only awarded government benefits to Hindus. It was later amended to included Sikhs and Buddhists in 1956 and 1990, respectively.
The Misra Commission (http://www.ncrlm.com), a five-member commission under the chairmanship of retired Supreme Court Justice Ranganath Misra, was appointed by the government in March 2005 and officially called the National Commission for Religious & Linguistic Minorities. Its mandate was to examine criteria for defining “backwardness” among people of Scheduled Caste origin who had converted to religions other than Hinduism, Sikhism and Buddhism. It was to suggest necessary constitutional, legal and administrative changes. Its tenure, originally for six months, had been repeatedly extended to May 15, 2007. The report was submitted and has now become public.
“We are one step closer to justice for all Dalits. It is our hope that the Government does not come up with any more delay tactics at the next hearing of the Supreme Court case brought by a Dalit Christian scheduled for July 19th,” said D’souza.
The Supreme Court of India hearing, which has already been postponed multiple times, was most recently delayed on April 3, 2007. The case was originally filed in 2004.
The case asks the Indian government to restore Scheduled Caste status to Dalit Christians and thereby allow them to receive national government benefits guaranteed them by the Indian Constitution. There is a similar case filed by a Dalit Muslim.
Hindu Nationalists, including most upper-caste communities, have opposed the restoration of Scheduled Caste status to all Dalits. They argued that it would encourage religious conversions of Hindus since exclusion of Dalit converts from Scheduled Caste benefits acted as a deterrent. Indeed, one of the five panel members, Ms. Asha Das, issued a dissenting opinion and said that giving Scheduled Caste status to Christians and Muslims would amount to inserting caste in religions which don’t recognize caste.
However, various studies conducted by the Misra Commission involving leading social scientists, politicians, and academicians indicated that Dalits continue to suffer caste-based discrimination, irrespective of their religion. In particular, Dalit Christians – even after their conversion – suffer social discrimination and remain in the same educational and economic condition as before.
The Dalit Freedom Network’s (http://www.dalitnetwork.org) mission is to partner with the Dalits (India’s Untouchables) in their quest for religious freedom, social justice, and human dignity by mobilizing human, informational, and financial resources.
For more information, contact:
Ben Marsh, Washington D.C. Coordinator, Dalit Freedom Network
(703) 974-1243
Posted on: May 22, 2007
Dalit Woman Emerges Electoral Winner in India's Largest State
For Immediate Release
11 May 2007
Even as India is celebrating the 150 years of the first revolt of independence against the British in 1857 the lady called as Sister
Mayawati is to become Chief Minister in India’s largest state- Uttar Pradesh (UP). This is the state that has traditionally given India most of her Prime Ministers.
In what is possibly one of the most intriguing elections in recent Indian history, Mayawati’s party, the Bahujan Samaj Party or BSP (translated-the party of the majority community of the oppressed castes), won an absolute majority in India’s largest state-Uttar Pradesh with a population of about 170 million people.
While analysts try to make sense of the election result, everyone is agreed that Mayawati cleverly took the majority of the Dalit votes in the State along with good sections of the Muslim and the Brahmin votes. Her strategy lay in reaching out to the Brahmins, whom she earlier had attacked fiercely as the perpetrators of the caste system, but now lay marginalized with the completely caste driven politics of UP. The Backward Caste ‘Yadav’ vote largely went to the runner up party, the Samajwadi Party (SP) which ruled UP for the past few years.
Even though Brahmin politicians ruled the State for nearly 45 years, it is in the wake of the caste churning and caste politics in UP of the last 15 years that the ruling Brahmin castes have been marginalized politically as their caste percentage in UP is that of a minority. It is a curious twist of history that the Dalit leader offered the Brahmins some honor while at the same time offering development and prosperity to the Dalits and other oppressed groups.
The media has often lampooned Mayawati for her imperious style, luxurious living, extravagant spending, and as a politician who would ally with any party to get to political power. Earlier, her party members have deserted her to join other parties due to the lure of power and money. She now has 5 years to keep her flock together and govern one of India’s most complex states where law and order has become a huge problem. UP is the state where the 30 children were kidnapped, abused and killed recently. The media also criticized her in the past for supporting the Chief Minister Narendra Modi in the wake of the Gujarat carnage. At that time, she was firmly aligned with the Barantya Janata Party (BJP).
Whatever her politics, Sister Mayawati has a tremendous opportunity to address the educational needs of Dalits, to ensure justice for Dalits where caste-discrimination is still going on in UP, to invest in a globalized English medium education for Dalits, to give Dalit Christians their due in her State, and maintain religious freedom in the State of UP for the next five years. UP and Bihar are the two large Hindi states in north India where there is religious freedom. She has promised development for the downtrodden. She must go some distance in delivering on her promises to the people if she wants to fulfill her stated dream of becoming the Prime Minister of India one day.
For more information, contact:
Ben Marsh, Washington D.C. Coordinator, Dalit Freedom Network
(703) 974-1243
Posted on: May 11, 2007
UK Parliament Debates Caste in Westminster Hall
For immediate release
May 10, 2007
UK Parliament Debates Caste in Westminster Hall
House of Commons Debate Witnessed by Dalit Family
The British House of Commons yesterday debated the ongoing problem of Caste oppression and Untouchability facing India’s Dalit and Tribal people. The debate lasted well over an hour and was initiated by Stephen Crabb M.P. (Preseli Pembrokeshire) and joined by several Members of Parliament from different parties. The debate included discussion on the recent atrocities at Khairlanji, exploitation of labor, and anti-conversion legislation. The debate, held to inquire specifically about the UK Government’s response to the Caste system, received an uninspired response from The Minister for Europe, Geoffrey Hoon.
The debate was attended by Sam Paul, a Dalit activist from Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India, and his family. “It is inspiring to see these respected Members of Parliament to confront a problem that has hurt the Dalits for centuries,” said Mr. Paul. “The issue was very well debated and, though it is not an inherently British problem, I am glad to see the Parliament raise the issue as a friend of India. I hope the UK Government will raise this issue with British businesses in India so that they might hire and train Dalits and give support to Dalit small businesses and NGOs.”
Westminster Hall debates are a forum for Members of Parliament to raise direct questions with the Government on specific issues. This debate on Caste is the first of its kind in Westminster Hall.
Full text of the debate is available here: http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200607/cmhansrd/cm070508/halltext/70508h0004.htm#070 50819000003
For more information, contact:
Ben Marsh, Washington D.C. Coordinator, Dalit Freedom Network
(703) 974-1243
Posted on: May 10, 2007
Congressman Trent Franks Introduces Resolution on Untouchability
Washington, DC – Congressman Trent Franks today introduced an historic resolution on Untouchability in the United States House of Representatives. The resolution, when passed, will be the first official statement of Congress that Untouchability is an unacceptable practice in any modern democracy and that the United States Congress should do all within its power to ensure American Business and the United States Government are not discriminating against Dalits in their programs, hiring, and funding. The resolution was introduced on the 200th anniversary of the enactment of William Wilberforce-sponsored bill abolition the cross-Atlantic slave trade in the United Kingdom.
The resolution was introduced shortly after a briefing with the Congressional Human Rights Caucus entitled Untouchables: The Plight of Dalit Women with testimony from DFN Executive Director Nanci Ricks; Joseph D’Souza, International President of the DFN; Kumar Swamy, South India Director of the All India Christian Council; Smita Narula, Executive Director of the Center for Global Human Rights and Global Justice at the New York University School of Law; and T. Kumar, Advocacy Director Asia & Pacific, Amnesty International.
The testimonies were both moving and informative, as Mrs. Ricks highlighted the dehumanization facing Dalit women from before birth into their adult lives, Ms. Narula covered the systematic discrimination facing Dalit women at the national, state, and local levels in all areas of life, Mr. Kumar delved into the root causes of Untouchability and potential solutions, Dr. D’Souza spoke of Dalit girl sex trafficking and recent examples of violence against Dalit girls, and Mr. Swamy spoke of his experience as a Dalit in India and the violence he has personally seen perpetrated on Dalit women.
The speakers were unanimous in calling for a swift response from the Unites States Government. In particular, each called on the United State Congress to pass the resolution dealing with Untouchability introduced by Congressman Franks. Moreover, they called on US businesses to allocate jobs and training to Dalits, especially Dalit women, and to ensure that Dalits and low-caste people do not face discrimination in the workplace or in hiring. The panelists also highlighted the need for education for Dalit girls across India to afford them greater economic opportunity.
Following the briefing, Rep. Franks introduced the resolution with thirteen original cosponsors from across the political spectrum. In a moving speech, he called on his fellow Members of Congress to focus on “an ancient and particularly abhorrent form of persecution and segregation in one of America’s closest allies.” Echoing the December 27th, 2006 words of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, he likened the Caste system in India to Apartheid in South Africa and called on the United States Congress to join with him in raising the issue with the Indian Government.
The resolution and briefing arrive following a flurry of action in the United Kingdom and in the European Union on the issue of Untouchability. Last month, the UK House of Lord and House of Commons took up the issue in a public debate while the Conservative Human Rights Commission held a groundbreaking hearing on Untouchability. In February, the European Union passed a resolution on Untouchability which called on the government of India to drastically improve its response to the egregious human rights violations caused by Caste and Untouchability.
“We are in the midst of a worldwide movement,” commented Dr. D’Souza following the briefing. “The world is just now awakening to the oldest and largest human rights atrocity. Now is the time for action, and we call on others to join with leaders like Congressman Franks in calling for movement by the United States Government and other world governments.”
For more information, contact:
Ben Marsh, Washington D.C. Coordinator, Dalit Freedom Network
(703) 974-1243
For immediate release
May 1, 2007
Posted on: May 2, 2007
Dalit landless are out
J P Yadav: From The Indian Express.
PATNA, MARCH 18
Last Friday, two persons were killed and at least six persons were injured when police opened fire at people protesting irregularities in preparation of the below poverty line (BPL) list in Matihani block in Bihar’s Begusarai district.
The coupon scheme is Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s brainchild to streamline the public distribution system (PDS) for the poorest of the poor and plug leakage which, according to a Planning Commission study, is estimated to be over 50 per cent in the state. Under the scheme, every BPL family is handed coupons to obtain subsidised grains and kerosene oil from the local PDS shop. Part of the coupon is to be kept by the PDS shop-owner — this will be the basis for his allotment by the government next month.
But an investigation by The Indian Express in Patna district, including Sadisopur where nearly 500 people stormed the local Urdu primary school building on March 1 and looted coupons — shows that genuine BPL families are being left out of the scheme because of irregularities in the BPL list which decides who gets the coupons. While names of the genuinely poor have been struck off, many from the above poverty line have made it to the list. Consider these:
• Basgit Chowdhury, a resident of Kanhaulee village of Sadisopur panchayat, figures in the corrected BPL list. A retired Armyman, he lives in a pucca house and draws a pension of Rs 2,500.
Yet he has been awarded a score of just 1 point in the BPL survey — in effect, he is one of the poorest of the poor. Like Chowdhury, Madan Prasad, who too retired from the Army and lives in the village, is also in the list. Both say they never petitioned to be included in the BPL list. “I don’t know how my name has made it to the list. This shows how faulty this new list is,” Chowdhury told The Indian Express.
• In the same village, Jagannath Ram, a Dalit, has scored 21 points and fallen off the BPL list — he has been placed in the APL list. The state government has fixed 13 points as cut-off to divide BPL and APL families. Ram is landless, lives in a thatched house constructed on government land and can barely manage two meals a day. Had Ram’s family been the only…...Read full article by clicking here
Posted on: April 21, 2007
Supreme Court Again Postpones Decision on Extending Government Benefits to Christians
From Dalit Freedom Network
In association with A.I.C.C./SC-ST Federations
For more information, contact:
Ben Marsh, Washington D.C. Coordinator, Dalit Freedom Network
(703) 974-1243
NEW DELHI, INDIA The long-awaited Supreme Court judgment on a Dalit Christian’s petition to be given Scheduled Caste status was once again postponed because the Ranganath Misra Commission has again delayed releasing its report on the socio-economic and educational condition of Dalit Christians. Scheduled Caste status gives special government benefits to Indians from Dalit, tribal, and low-caste background.
The Supreme Court of India hearing, which had already been postponed multiple times, was scheduled for April 3, 2007. Authorities announced on April 3, however, that the hearing would be postponed till mid-July 2007. The reason, according to media sources, was that the Misra Commission was instructed to delay submission of its report, due to the Supreme Court on March 26, until after the Uttar Pradesh elections ended on May 15 in order to avoid any potential political controversy.
The Misra Commission, a five-member commission under the chairmanship of Justice Ranganath Misra, was set up in March 2005 as the National Commission for Religious & Linguistic Minorities. Its mandate was to examine the criteria for defining “backwardness” among people of Scheduled Caste origin who had converted to other religions besides Hinduism, Sikhism and Buddhism.
Dalit Christians are asking the Indian government to restore their Scheduled Caste status and thereby allow tem to receive national government benefits guaranteed them by the Indian Constitution. Dalits who were non-Hindu were stripped of their Scheduled Caste status by a 1950 presidential order. This status included benefits and privileges such as reservations in education institutions and government jobs. Although Sikh and Buddhist Dalits saw their Scheduled Caste status restored in 1956 and 1990, respectively, Dalit Christians continue to be denied their legal birthright.
Dr. Joseph D’souza, President of the All India Christian Council, and International President of Dalit Freedom Network, said, “The 1950 Presidential Order clearly violates the Indian Constitutional provision to religion-based discrimination.”
Various studies conducted by the Misra Commission involving leading social scientists, politicians, and academicians indicate that Dalits continue to suffer discrimination, irrespective of their religion. In particular, Dalit Christians – even after their conversion -suffer social discrimination and remain in the same educational and economic condition as before.
Most upper-caste communities have opposed the restoration of Scheduled Caste status to Dalit Christians, arguing that reservations should not be allotted on the basis of religion. However, rebuts Dr. D’souza, “Why then did the Indian government discriminate against non-Hindu Dalits on the basis of religion in the 1950 Presidential Order?”
The All India Christian Council (http://www.aiccindia.org), birthed in 1998, exists to protect and serve the Christian community, minorities, and the oppressed castes. The AICC is a coalition of thousands of Indian denominations, organizations, and lay leaders.
The Dalit Freedom Network’s mission is to partner with the Dalits (India’s Untouchables) in their quest for religious freedom, social justice, and human dignity by mobilizing human, informational, and financial resources. Their website is: http://www.dalitnetwork.org
Posted on: April 5, 2007
Hearing on Caste Discrimination in India before British Parliament
Press release from the office of Stephen Crabb, British MP
Read the transcript of the hearing.
The Conservative Party Human Rights Commission held a hearing in Parliament yesterday on the plight of the Dalits or “untouchables” in India, in the week that Britain marks the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the trans-Atlantic slave trade.
Four leading Indian campaigners presented detailed evidence of serious human rights abuses as a result of the caste system.
The Commission heard extensive accounts of bonded labour, discrimination, rape, sexual slavery, beatings and killings of India’s 250 million Dalits and “backward castes”.
Dr Joseph D’souza, International President of the Dalit Freedom Network, reminded the Commission that William Wilberforce, who led the Parliamentary campaign to end the slave trade, described the caste system in India as “a system at war with truth and nature”. The Dalits, said Dr D’souza, are facing a modern day slavery.
Indira Athawale, a women’s activist, said that Dalit women face sexual violence in a “culture of impunity”. She told of how two Dalit women were dragged from their homes in their village in Maharashtra on 29 September, 2006 and paraded naked through the streets to the village square, where they were reportedly gang-raped and murdered.
“If the social exclusion, dehumanisation, degradation, exploitation and oppression of Dalits is abhorrent and appalling, that faced by Dalit women is the worst of all,” Ms Athawale said.
India’s Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, has himself said that “untouchability is not just social discrimination, it is a blot on humanity”.
Stephen Crabb MP, the Chairman of the Conservative Party Human Rights Commission, said: “We held this hearing in order to get first-hand knowledge about the real problems of caste-based discrimination that continue in that country today. We conducted the hearing very much in a spirit of friendship with India, recognising the long-standing and special relationship between our two countries. But we would not be a true friend to India and its people if we did not raise these very serious issues.
“We wish to encourage the Indian Government to act to end caste discrimination and give Dalits equal opportunities in employment, education and society. We urge the British Government to ensure that British aid is directed at empowering Dalits.
“We encourage British businesses investing in India to consider seriously ways in which their investments could be used to alleviate the poverty and discrimination which Dalits face, and to seek opportunities, working with groups in India, to bring an end to this injustice.
“We believe support is also needed to help establish Dalit media groups, to give a voice to these 250 million people who have been downtrodden for far too long.
“As India’s friends, we wish to say to India that bonded labour, sexual slavery, rape, beatings and killings of Dalits carried out with impunity is not acceptable in our modern, global age. We will do all we can to continue to highlight these concerns, and to encourage India to end this gross injustice.”
Posted on: March 30, 2007
Christians and Dalits Mount Legal Challenge to Himachal Pradesh Anti Conversion Law
Dalit Freedom Network partner All India Christian Council to lead fight against unconstitutional law
For Immediate Release:
Greenwood Village, CO – Christians and Dalits decided to challenge the Himachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act 2006 in the High Court at a state-wide meeting organized by the All India Christian Council at Shimla on February 22, 2007.
The Governor of Himachal Pradesh, Shri Justice Vishnu Sadashiv Kokje, signed the state law on February 19, 2007. The Bill was passed the state legislature on December 19, 2006. The law is unique as it was generated and passed by the secular Congress party while most other anti-conversion laws have been passed in states ruled by the Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Dr. John Dayal, member of National Integration Council and General Secretary of the All India Christian Council, spoke to the media at Shimla, “Fraternal Christian, Dalit and mass movement organizations have decided to take the issue as far as the Supreme Court if we do not get a favorable decision at the state level.”
“The Governor, Chief Minister, as well as the Congress leadership in New Delhi including Mrs. Sonia Gandhi, should rescind the Act which was given Governor’s assent two days ago in a surreptious manner without the matter being discussed at public forum, or even in the state assembly at any length,” continued Dr. Dayal. “It is a matter of shame and concern to Democratic India that a Congress-ruled state such a Himachal Pradesh has enforced this act to target Christians, Buddhists and other religions in the same way law have done in Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.”
Dr. Joseph D’souza, President of the All India Christian Council, said, “This law is unacceptable and betrays the promises of the Congress party to address the needs of minority faiths across India. This law severely undercuts the fundamental right to freedom of religion, particularly for exploited Dalits and tribals. The assent of the governor amounts to an endorsement of the discrimination and persecution against religious minorities in Himachal Pradesh state.”
Mr. Rakesh Bahadur, North India Convener of the National Conference of Dalit Organizations, said, “The Himachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion Bill 2006 is targeted to those Dalits who want to get out of caste oppression by choosing the faith they like. This bill violates the fundamental rights of every Indian citizen provided in article 25 of Indian Constitution as well as article 18 of the UN’s Universal Declaration.”
The bill punishes anyone found involved in conversion by any fraudulent means with imprisonment up to two years and/or a fine of twenty five thousand Rupees. If Dalits or minors are involved, five years imprisonment and/or a fifty thousand Rupee fine is the penalty. Any members of religion wishing to change his/her faith is required to give 30 days prior information to district authorities or otherwise face punishment of one month imprisonment and/or a one thousand Rupee fine. However, any member returning back to previous religion is not considered violating this law.
Himachal Pradesh is the eighth state in India to pass an anti-conversion law. However, Tamil Nadu repealed its law in June 2006 and several states have not framed rules that outline the penalties if the bill’s provisions are violated.
The All India Christian Council (http://www.aiccindia.org), birthed in 1998, exists to protect and serve the Christian community, minorities, and the oppressed castes. The AICC is a coalition of thousands of Indian denominations, organizations, and lay leaders.
The Dalit Freedom Network’s mission is to partner with the Dalits (India’s Untouchables) in their quest for religious freedom, social justice, and human dignity by mobilizing human, informational, and financial resources. Their website is: http://www.dalitnetwork.org
For more information, contact:
Ben Marsh
Washington D.C. Coordinator
Dalit Freedom Network
(703) 974-1243
Posted on: February 24, 2007
Himachal Pradesh Governor Signs Anti-Conversion Legislation. DFN condemns draconian legislation
Press Statement from the Dalit Freedom Network.
For Immediate Release.
Denver, CO – The Governor of the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, Shri Justice Vishnu Sadashiv Kokje, signed into law on Monday legislation that severely limits the fundamental rights of religious people across the state. The “Himachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion Bill 2006” was passed by the Himachal Pradesh legislature on December 19, 2006. The law was unique as it was generated and passed by the secular Congress party while most other state-level anti-conversion laws were passed by the Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
“This law is unacceptable and betrays the promises of the Congress party to address the needs of minority believers across India,” said Dr Joseph D’souza, President of the Dalit Freedom Network and the All India Christian Council. “This law severely undercuts the fundamental right to freedom of religion, particularly for exploited Dalits and tribals. The assent of the governor amounts to an endorsement of the discrimination and persecution against religious minorities in that state.”
Anti-conversion laws have been used in other states to justify vigilante violence against Christians and Muslims. Such laws require fees and legal paperwork for religious conversions but exempt conversions to Hinduism.
The Dalit Freedom Network is working closely with Christian Solidarity Worldwide UK and the All India Christian Council to mount a legal challenge to this and other anti-conversion laws.
The Dalit Freedom Network’s mission is to partner with the Dalits (India’s Untouchables) in their quest for religious freedom, social justice, and human dignity by mobilizing human, informational, and financial resources. Their website is: http://www.dalitnetwork.org
For more information, contact:
Ben Marsh
Washington D.C. Coordinator
Dalit Freedom Network
Posted on: February 22, 2007
Madhya Pradesh Christians Demand Anti-Conversion Law's Roll Back
Bhopal: The Christian community in Madhya Pradesh slammed the State Government on Thursday for its new law against religious conversions and demanded the Governor to scrap it.
The State Assembly had passed a controversial Bill on Tuesday, amending the state’s Freedom of Religion Act, 1968 to curb forced conversions or those under allurement.
Christians said the Bill infringes on the freedom of citizens to choose or profess a religion of his choice. And, they presented a memorandum to the Governor against the Bill.
“The Constitution assures all citizens Freedom of Religion and the freedom to profess whatever religion they choose. We demand that the right of individuals on this account may be hurt if this Bill is applied and so it must be scrapped. This Bill must go so that the people can profess whatever religion they wish without fear and doubt. That is why we had told the Governor to cancel it,” said Father Sam D’Souza Frances, a senior Christian Missionary.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), however, said the Bill did not make any discrimination against Christians and their apprehensions were unfounded.
“This Bill is applicable to all people from all walks and communities without discrimination or bias. Why does the Christian community feel threatened? Why are these the only people who have any issues about the Bill? To ask that the government be pulled down for this amendment is ridiculous. What is all this fear about, which should plague only those people who ere doing forced conversions? All the government says is that let the administration know in advance and you can continue with whatever are your religious and social welfare activities,” said Uma Shankar Gupta, spokesperson of Madhya Pradesh BJP unit.
The Bill makes it mandatory for any person who wishes to convert to any faith to inform the District Magistrate or any empowered executive magistrate, with a declaration regarding the same at least 30 days in advance, failing which he is liable to be fined.
The Bill also states that the priest of whatever religion, who presides over the conversion, should be held responsible for the conversion, if he has not ensured that the prescribed procedure of intimation to administration has not been followed.
Click here to go to newkerala.com
Posted by Madhu Chandra
Posted on: July 28, 2006
Call to restore Panchami land to Dalits
CHENNAI: Puthiya Tamizhagam president K. Krishnasamy has urged the State Government to retrieve land allotted to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, which were allegedly taken over by others.
Talking to newsmen here on Wednesday, Dr. Krishnasamy said about 2.5 lakh acres of `Panchami’ land were distributed to SCs/STs by the British.
Over the years, the Dalits were forced to sell the land by “coercion and threat.”
Though such land transactions were illegal, non-Dalits continued to enjoy the ownership.
Similarly, ownership of house site and land pattas, LPG and petrol company dealership and small-scale industries allotted to Dalits under various SC/ST welfare schemes by THADCO were not with the original allottees.
Stir Threat
Dr. Krishnasamy also alleged that about 53 acres in Siruthavur in Kancheepuram district, allotted to local Dalits in1967 by the then DMK Government, were “transferred” to a family close to the then regime during 1991-96. The family had also encroached upon 200 acres of `puramboke’ land in the same village.
He urged the Government to hand back the land to the original owners. If action was not taken within 15 days, his party would organise a state-wide stir.
Dr. Krishnasamy said there was great expectation among people about the proposed distribution of two acres land to the poor.
The Government should expedite the distribution by utilising 50 lakh acres of wasteland and surplus wetland acquired by it under the land ceiling law.
He demanded the State sanction 25 per cent of the budget allocation for the welfare of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
Similar Demands
The Dalit Rights Federation has also made similar demands. In a memorandum, it demanded takeover of panchami land in the hands of non-Dalits; separate budget for SCs/STs; priority for Dalits in distribution of two acre of land and waiving of loans given to SC/STs by THADCO.
Posted by Madhu Chandra
Posted on: July 25, 2006
