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UN Investigator Upholds Civil Rights for Dalits of All Faiths

Joint press statement by DFN partner, aicc, and CSW originally posted here. DFN International President, Joseph D’souza, also serves as president of the aicc.

Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) and the All India Christian Council (aicc) are welcoming the newly-released report of the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, Ms Asma Jahangir, on her mission to India in 2008.

The report notes “the religious diversity of India and the positive impact of secularism” but warns that a “system of impunity emboldens forces of intolerance” and that extremist groups advocating religious hatred “have unleashed an all-pervasive fear of mob violence”.

Ms Jahangir visited India from 3-20 March 2008. She held numerous meetings with civil society, including one in Orissa state after the anti-Christian violence of December 2007, which was organised by CSW partner, the aicc.

The Special Rapporteur’s report further articulates concern over state-level anti-conversion laws “used to vilify Christians and Muslims”, and recommends that they be “reconsidered since they raise serious human rights concerns”. It also calls for an end to religious discrimination in the eligibility of Dalits for the affirmative action system of reservations in public sector education and employment. Its other areas of concern include the socio-economic status of Muslims, shortcomings in the recognition of the Sikh, Jain and Buddhist religions, religious freedom in Jammu and Kashmir, and religion-based personal laws.

Dr Joseph D’souza, aicc President, said: “The Special Rapporteur painted a balanced and authentic picture of the state of religious freedom in India, and she accurately represented many of the concerns of Indian civil society. The increasing violence against religious minorities by religious fundamentalists urgently warrants this level of attention. We appreciate her incisive analysis of the key issues of concern, especially the damage of anti-conversion laws on a rich tradition of religious tolerance, and the unequal treatment of Dalits from different faiths. We call upon the government of India to take this report and its recommendations seriously.”

Alexa Papadouris, CSW Advocacy Director, said: “We welcome the Special Rapporteur’s detailed engagement with many of the most critical issues affecting religious freedom in India. The widespread impunity which has followed several large-scale outbreaks of violence against religious minorities, most recently against Christians in Orissa but previously against Muslims and Sikhs, has been a particularly visible challenge to religious freedom.

“This report echoes the calls from within India for these and other concerns to be addressed properly and comprehensively. Together with the Special Rapporteur, we recognise the immense challenges of governing as large and diverse a nation as India. However, we urge the government to engage fully with all the recommendations in this report, as a demonstration of their commitment to India being a land of freedom and opportunity for all her diverse citizens, regardless of their religious identity.”

For further information or to arrange interviews with CSW or the aicc, contact Theresa Malinowska, Press Officer at Christian Solidarity Worldwide or visit http://www.csw.org.uk/.

CSW is a human rights organisation which specialises in religious freedom, works on behalf of those persecuted for their Christian beliefs and promotes religious liberty for all.

The aicc (www.christiancouncil.in), 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.

NOTES TO EDITORS

1. The report of the Special Rapporteur is accessible via the UN website. It is scheduled to be presented at the tenth session of the UN Human Rights Council in March 2009.

2. Following the Special Rapporteur’s visit, Orissa saw the worst outbreak of communal violence against Christians in the history of post-Independence India, which included forcible conversions to Hinduism. The violence was sparked by the assassination by unknown assailants of Swami Lakhmananda Saraswati, local figurehead of the extremist Hindu nationalist group, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), on 23 August 2008, and resulted in the deaths of at least 70, with more than 50 still unaccounted for. At least 50,000 were forced to flee their homes, amidst widespread destruction of property and churches.

3. The last visit to India by a UN Special Rapporteur on religious intolerance was in December 1996.

ENDS

Posted on: February 10, 2009

India's Anti-Christian Violence Unparalleled Among World Democracies

For Immediate Release

Orissa violence continues unabated and enters seventh week. Despite Supreme Court ruling, police neglect duties.

NEW DELHI – October 4, 2008 – Despite the deployment of thousands of central and state law enforcement troops, the violence in Orissa continues to inflict daily casualties and massive damage to Christian properties.

Rev. Madhu Chandra, All India Christian Council (aicc) Regional Secretary, said, “The death tolls are climbing, but less than a hundred are confirmed. Perhaps this is why the Orissa attacks haven’t gained international attention the worst violation of the freedom of religion in any democracy in recent history. What most people don’t realize is the goal of the attackers is to inspire fear. The attackers believe India is only for Hindus and their stated purpose is to convert people to Hinduism or force them to leave. To accomplish this, they only need to kill one or two people in each village or church. This is clearly terrorism and ethnic cleansing, but few Indian leaders are admitting it.” Most of the victims are Dalits, formerly known as untouchables, from a tribe called Pano.

Dr. Joseph D’souza, aicc president, said, “The events of the last month, not only the anti-Christian attacks but the negligence of government, would be sad if it happened in a dictatorship or a totalitarian regime. The fact that it’s happening in the world’s largest democracy makes it infinitely sadder.”

Some police, mostly in rural areas, are neglecting their duties. For example, a Roman Catholic nun was raped amidst mob violence on Aug. 25, 2008, in Kanjemandi village between Raikia and Balliguda, Kandhamal District, Orissa. A medical examination of the nun conducted that night at the Balliguda Hospital confirmed rape. Both the victim and a priest, who tried to defend her and was severely beaten, tried to file cases in the Nuagaon police station. Their “First Information Report” (FIR) was rejected. Eventually, the same FIR was accepted at the Balliguda police station. But, in spite of numerous eye witnesses, police didn’t investigate until 38 days after the attack and made four arrests yesterday.
India’s Supreme Court said on Aug. 8, 2008 that any police officer who turns away a person without registering his or her complaint could face contempt of court charges and imprisonment (see “Cops understand only crack of whip, says Supreme Court” by Dhananjay Mahapatra, Times of India, Aug. 9, 2008). Justice B.N. Agarwal and Justice G.S. Singhvi instructed victims to appeal to their local chief judicial magistrate or the chief metropolitan magistrate. Ironically, the decision was scheduled for review on Aug. 25th, the same day as the attack on the nun.

“We demand that the officials in Orissa follow the law. We know multiple cases where Christians have tried to file cases with police after being attacked and the police turned them away. Police say they are overwhelmed and don’t have time to file cases or investigate since they must focus on maintaining order. But surely they realize that, unless crimes are promptly punished, the perpetrators are indirectly encouraged to continue their crimes. Justice is being denied to hundreds of victims,” said Chandra.

There has been no news about a second rape case. A young nun of the Cuttack-Bhubaneswar Roman Catholic diocese working at Jan Vikas Kendra, a social service centre near Nuagaon, was reportedly gang raped by mobs on Aug. 24, 2008.

Similar violence lasted about a week over Christmas 2007. Some are calling it “Christian-Hindu clashes” but media reports and aicc Orissa state leaders confirm that Christians are the overwhelming victims and are not instigating attacks. There are scattered reports of Christians firing guns in self-defense. The current violence is entering its seventh week since it began on Aug. 23, 2008 after the killing of a controversial swami by unknown assailants. Extremist groups blamed Christians for the murder.

The violence spread to at least ten other states and has affected hundreds of churches and thousands of Indian Christians. Within Orissa, the violence spread to almost half of the districts, and then was contained to Kandhamal District. But now attacks are spreading again with incidents reported in Gajapati and Boudh districts in the last few days.

Other examples of recent violence include:
Sept. 26th – G. Udayagiri, Kandhamal District: A young Christian man named Rajesh Digal was on his way home from Chennai. While walking with his Hindu friend, they were attacked. The Hindu man was stabbed but escaped. Rajesh was buried alive.
Sept. 30th – Rudangia, Kandhamal District: About 60 houses of Christians were burned in the morning, and one Christian lady was shot and killed while seven others were injured.
Oct. 2nd – Sindhipakali, Kandhamal District: At 8 p.m., mobs attacked the village and set Christian houses on fire. They stabbed and killed a father and his teenage son in 9th standard (grade). Both were Dalit Christians.

Across Orissa, aicc leaders have reliable reports of 315 villages damaged, 4,640 Christian houses burnt, 53,000 Christians homeless, 57 people killed including at least 2 pastors, 10 priests/pastors/nuns seriously injured, 18,000 Christians injured, 2 nuns gang-raped, 149 churches destroyed, 13 Christian schools and colleges damaged.

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

For more information, contact:
Madhu Chandra, aicc Regional Secretary, New Delhi

Posted on: October 4, 2008

India's Civil Society Defends Christians in New Delhi Rally

About 15,000 people joined Peace & Solidarity Rally on International Day of Non-Violence
“Killers of Mahatma Gandhi are the same killers of Christians in India,” said Swami Agnivesh
Union Minister Lalu Prasad promised to bring up the anti-Christian violence in Parliament
Over 50,000 homeless Dalit & Tribal Christians in Orissa demanded refugee status from UNHCR

About 15,000 Christians, Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, and Buddhists including politicians and civil society leaders joined the Peace & Solidarity Rally on the International Day of Non-Violence which falls on the 139th birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, India’s ‘Father of the Nation’. The protest highlighted recent anti-Christian violence in India.

Addressing the rally, Swami Agnivesh said, “The very killers of Mahatma Gandhi are the same killers and abusers of Christians in Orissa, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and other parts of the country. The killers – the Hindutva fascists – do not represent the peace loving Hindu society. Rather they are damaging the Sanatam Dharma [Hindu way of life].”

India’s Union Minister of Railways, Mr. Lalu Prasad Yadav, broke his silence over anti-Christian violence across India. Addressing the rally, he said, “I will personally meet the Prime Minister and discuss the implementation of Article 355. I will also bring up the anti-Christian violence in Parliament and debate the hatred of Hindutva forces.” Article 355 of India’s Constitution allows the central government to warn a state government to stop internal disturbances or face federal action and possible dismissal.

In the morning, the Chief Minister of Delhi, Mrs. Sheila Dixit, showed her solidarity and expressed concern and pain over the anti-Christian violence. She condemned the Hindu fanatics who are responsible for widespread crimes and causing damage to properties owned by the Christian minority.

Other dignitaries who participated in the rally included Mr. Oscar Fernandez, Union Minister of Labor; Mrs. Teesta Setalvad, General Secretary of Mumbai-based Citizens For Justice & Peace; Dr. Udit Raj, Chairman, All India Confederation of Scheduled Caste / Scheduled Tribe Organisations; Dr. Valson Thampu, Principal of the prestigious St. Stephen’s College of New Delhi; Mr. Sitaram Yechury, senior leader of the Communist Party of India (Marxist); Ms. Shabnam Hashmi, senior leader of ANHAD (Act Now for Harmony and Democracy). There were additional speakers from Sikh, Muslim, and Hindu communities.

The rally concluded seven days of a “Sit-in Protest” organized by the Christians of Delhi and the NCR (National Capital Region). Major contributors included the Delhi Federation of Catholics and the All India Christian Council (aicc). Beginning on Sept. 26, 2008 at 10 a.m and ending today at 6 p.m., there was 152 hours of constant prayer and protest at Jantar Mantar – a park in the center of New Delhi – to express solidarity with victims. Most of the victims are Dalits, formerly called untouchables and officially categorized as Scheduled Castes by India’s government.

Rally participants shouted “Ban Terrorists, Ban Bajrang Dal,” “Ban Vishwa Hindu Parishad,” and “Ban Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh” as they marched along a 5 km route from Jantar Mantar to Raj Ghat, a memorial to Mahatma Gandhi. Since the surge in violence beginning in rural Orissa on Aug. 23, 2008 after the murder of a controversial Hindu swami by unknown assailants, civil society groups, human rights activists, and various religious leaders have increasingly called for these Hindutva fundamentalist groups to be banned as terrorists.

Yesterday, a delegation led by noted film maker Mahesh Bhatt along with Christian victims from Orissa met the United Nations High Commission on Refugees in New Delhi and demanded refugee status for over 50,000 homeless Christians. The delegation included Dr. Abraham Mathai from the Indian Christian Voice and Dr. John Dayal, aicc Secretary General.

The toll of violence against Christians from Aug. 23 to Oct. 2, 2008:
BIHAR: 1 Church damaged; CHHATTISGARH: 4 Nuns assaulted; JHARKHAND: 1 Church attacked; KARNATAKA: 4 (of 29) Districts affected, 35 Churches damaged or destroyed, 20 Nuns and women injured by police; KERALA: 4 Churches damaged; MADHYA PRADESH: 4 Churches destroyed or damaged and 4 schools vandalized; NEW DELHI: 2 Churches damaged; ORISSA: 14 (of 30) Districts affected, 315 Villages damaged, 4,640 Houses burnt, 53,000 Homeless, 57 People killed including at least 2 pastors, 10 Priests/Pastors/Nuns injured, 18,000 Men, women, children injured, 2 Women gang-raped, 149 Churches destroyed, 13 Schools and colleges damaged; PUNJAB: 3 Christians harassed and imprisoned by police on false charges; TAMIL NADU: 4 Churches damaged; UTTAR PRADESH: 3 Pastors and a pastor’s wife beaten; and UTTARAKHAND: 2 Christians murdered.

The All India Christian Council (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: October 2, 2008

India"s Civil Society Defends Christians in New Delhi Rally

About 15,000 people joined Peace & Solidarity Rally on International Day of Non-Violence. “Killers of Mahatma Gandhi are the same killers of Christians in India,” said Swami Agnivesh. Union Minister Lalu Prasad promised to bring up the anti-Christian violence in Parliament. Over 50,000 homeless Dalit & Tribal Christians in Orissa demanded refugee status from UNHCR

NEW DELHI – October 2, 2008 – About 15,000 Christians, Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, and Buddhists including politicians and civil society leaders joined the Peace & Solidarity Rally on the International Day of Non-Violence which falls on the 139th birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, India’s ‘Father of the Nation’. The protest highlighted recent anti-Christian violence in India.

For immediate release

Posted on: October 2, 2008

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

Citizen's Delegation meets President of India; Demands Central Government Action on Orissa

New Delhi, September 1, 2008, 18:25 hrs

A Citizen’s Delegation met President Pratibha Patil on Monday morning calling upon her to enforce Article 355 of the Constitution of India on Orissa so that the Chief Minister Naveen Pattnaik administration takes adequate measures to protect Christians in the state from Hindutva violence.

The best legal opinion available. according to the delegation, was Article 355 which calls for imposition of President’s rule and New Delhi takes over reins of power. Article 355 reminds both New Delhi and state governments of their duties to protect States against internal disturbance and should be brought into force now.

The delegation reminded the President that the violence that has continued against Christians in Orissa from 23rd August till today justifies the use of this Article. The violence far exceeds that of Christians 2007, the delegation told the President, reminding her that she had a big role to play at this juncture.

In fact, violence has spilled out of Orissa into neighbouring Madhya Pradesh. In Orissa, it is not confined to Kandhamal but has affected other districts. In Kandhamal, fifty thousand people are hiding in forests or are in a few refugee camps, hiding from murderous gangs seeking to kill them or convert them to Hinduism, Over 4,000 houses have been completely destroyed apart from close to a hundred small and big churches which have been torched.

(Picture: Delegation meeting the President of India, Sep 1, 2008)

The Citizen’s Delegation, the first such to meet the President, was led by film maker Mahesh Bhatt , Jamiat-e-Ulema-e-Hind President Maulana Mahmood Madani, MP, and Orissa Archbishop Raphael Cheenath. National Integration Council member Dr. John Dayal, Delhi Archbishop Vincent Concessao, Maharashtra Government State Minorities Commission vice chairman Dr. Abraham Mathai, Jamiat leader Mohd Faruqi, All India Christian Council regional secretary Rev. Madhu Chandra, Delhi Catholic Archdiocese Federation President Adv. Jenis Francis and Mumbai’s Catholic Social Forum secretary general Joseph Dias were the other members.

The President gave the delegation a patient hearing and said she would have their demand for Article 355 examined. She said the government had briefed her on steps which had already been taken. Mr. Bhatt told the President that the State government was in a coma; its police totally complicit in the violence and the Sangh Parivar was running havoc.

Maulana Madani said it was a matter of security of India’s minorities. It was India’s concern for its minorities that had brought it respect internationally, and it was the object of deep concern globally. Archbishop Cheenath, Dr John Dayal and Dr Mathai briefed the President in detail about the Sangh violence in the state which has continued after the murder of the VHP vice President Lakshmanananda Saraswati.

Note: Attached were excerpts from letter to the President of India. See: http://indianchristians.in/news/content/view/2357/47/

Following are excerpts from the Memorandum Citizen’s Memorandum to the President of India:

Letter to the President of India from Citizen’s Delegation

Following are excerpts from the Citizen’s Memorandum to the President of India:

September 1, 2008
Shrimati Pratibha Patil
The President of India

Your Excellency,

You are aware of the still continuing carnage against the Christian community, mostly Dalits and Tribals, in the Kandhamal district of Orissa and in several other districts including the state capital of Bhubaneswar since 23rd August 2003 following the killing of Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Swami Lakshmanananda Saraswati, reportedly by Maoist groups who have been operating in the state for some time. The violence has now spread to some other states, especially Madhya Pradesh.

Nine months after attacks in Kandhamal District on Christians of Dalit, Hill peoples and Tribal ethnicity celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, we are deeply saddened by a repeat of the violence in the month of India’s Independence. The Christmas 2007 attacks claimed the lives of at least four Christians, and we verified the destruction of at least 105 churches and 730 Christian homes. The current spate of violence will exceed these totals as it continues to spread into other districts. Our estimate from Ground Zero is of close to two dozen people dead, one a Hindu girl burnt to death working for a Christian orphanage, a Nun has been gang raped, religious men and women personnel humiliated, beaten, tortured, some close to death, while policemen have looked on, or have been absent. We appeal for the restoration of law and order. But the root cause must also be addressed.

We, the secular civil society community, perceive that the great nation of India is at a tipping point. The groups, which favour a “Hindu Rashtra”, have made Orissa their laboratory, as they earlier did Gujarat. The so-called saffronisation of the state has been the subject of well-documented academic and socio-political studies. We entreat you, as President of the Republic, to enforce the rule of law upon Sangh Parivar organisations which blatantly flaunt their divisive agenda. Specifically, we call upon you to bring the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh, and Bajrang Dal under the rule of law.

As Orissa authorities have repeatedly said there was ample circumstantial evidence of Maoist involvement in the killing of VHP leader Lakshmananada Saraswati and four others on August 23rd. Additionally, someone who identified himself as Azad, a leader of Maoist outfit, People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army claim responsibility for the killing as Times of India carries the news on August 30 referring to an interview with a leading Oriya daily on August 29.[1]

Yet Praveen Togadia, VHP general secretary, told an international journalist on August 27, “It is clear that the church killed the Swami.”[2] Gouri Prasad Rath, Orissa state VHP secretary, said, “This attack is the handiwork of the Christians.”[3] Subhash Chavan, national co-convener of the Bajrang Dal, said, “The police are trying to hide the truth by blaming the Maoists.”[4] An unnamed RSS spokesperson said, “This is an attack by the agents of Christian missionaries, whose attempts at forcible conversions the Swamiji countered.”[5] RSS spokesperson Ram Madhav told CNN IBN on Tuesday night⁶ that Christians were behind the murders. Perhaps based on a media report⁷, Madhav The final word lay with RSS supreme Kupahalli Sudershan who in a Press Statement faxed to the Media called the late VHP vice president a martyr for “stopping Christians from carrying on coversions.”

These types of irresponsible statements must be met with the full force of the law. They are all culpable for penal action under IPC 295A for the crime of creating enmity between communities and religions. This would benefit not only Orissa, but the nation.

We sincerely wish Swami Saraswati was not murdered and he still might be alive if the state government had followed the recommendations of the National Commission for Minorities. The NCM urged the authorities to examine the speeches of Swami Lakshmananada to determine whether they amount to incitement to violence.[8] [9] We are confident that, if this had been done, the swami would have been jailed and protected from coming to any harm.

Your Excellency, the violence in Orissa continues without adequate police forces to stop mobs which break curfew and harm innocent civilians, chasing our fellow countrymen and women like animals in the forests where they have taken refuge since August 24. Today the irresponsible leaders of hardliner Hindu nationalist groups are damaging our great democracy and secularism of the nation.

We request you to order the Union Government and the State Administration to take legal action against the irresponsible organisations which called the bundh on Monday, Aug. 25, 2008 and have passively watched their members wreak havoc. They must, of course, fully investigate the murder of the VHP vice president.

This is to request you to use your powers as President of India, and the tremendous force of your good offices, to impress on the Central Government to rush adequate Union forces, including contingents of the Armed Forces if required, to restore law and order and governance in the Kandhamal region.

The consequences of any further delay, we the secular civil society fear, may be catastrophic for the small Christian community in the State in particular, for peace in Orissa in general, and for the fair name of India as a secular country

Yours Sincerely and Most Respectfully,

[The delegation included: Bollywood film producer Mahesh Bhatt, Jamiat-e-Ulema-e-Hind President Maulana Mahmood Madani, MP, Orissa Archbishop Raphael Cheenath, National Integration Council member Dr. John Dayal, Delhi Archbishop Vincent Concessao, Maharashtra Government State Minorities Commission vice chairman Dr. Abraham Mathai, Jamiat leader Mohd Faruqi, All India Christian Council regional secretary Rev. Madhu Chandra, Delhi Catholic Archdiocese Federation President Adv. Jenis Francis, and Mumbai’s Catholic Social Forum secretary general Joseph Dias]

[1] http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Maoists_claim_Orissa_killing/articleshow/3423908.cms
[2] “Indian state erupts in violence after Hindu shot”, by Saeed Ahmed, CNN, Aug. 27, 2008.
[3] “Orissa on edge, VHP scoffs at Maoist theory”, see above
[4] “Orissa tragedy takes a backseat, hunt starts for scapegoat”, by Soumyajit Pattnaik, Hindustan Times, Aug. 25, 2008.
[5] “Orissa: Bandh-related violence claims 9,” by Krishnakumar P., Rediff.com, Aug. 26, 2008.
[6] “Blind Faith? Fragile Peace Blown to Bits”, CNN-IBN debate, Aug. 26, 2008, 10 p.m. IST.
[7] “Widespread anger in Kandhamal”, The Pioneer, Aug. 25, 2008.
[8] “This mischievous [VHP & Sangh Parivar anti-conversion] campaign has created an atmosphere of prejudice and suspicion against the Christian community and Christian priests and organizations. The role of the Sangh Parivar activists and the anti-conversion campaign in fomenting organized violence against the Christian Community deserves close scrutiny.” From “Report of the NCM visit to Orissa, 6-8 January 2008”, http://ncm.nic.in/pdf/orissa%20report.pdf.
[9] “The recommendation made by the NCM team that visited Orissa in January, 2008 that the State Government must look into the speeches of Swami Lakshmanananda to determine whether they amount to incitement to violence does not appear to have been acted upon.” From “Report on the Visit of the Vice Chairperson, NCM to Orissa, 21-24 April 2008”, http://ncm.nic.in/pdf/VC%20Tour%20Report%20of%20Orissa.pdf.

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

The All India Christian Council
Madhu Chandra
Regional Secretary, New Delhi

Posted on: September 2, 2008

Even in flood, India's `untouchables' last rescued

Original article from the Associated Press by Gavin Rabinowitz.

In the two weeks since a monsoon-swollen river burst its banks, ancient prejudices have run just as deep as the floodwaters. India’s “untouchables” are the last to be rescued — if at all — from a deluge that has killed dozens and made 1.2 million homeless.

Dalits, the social outcasts at the bottom of the Hindu caste ladder, have borne the brunt of the devastation as the rampaging Kosi River swamped hundreds of square miles in northern India after it overflowed and shifted its course dozens of miles to the east.

On Sunday, one Dalit, Mohan Parwan ran up and down a half destroyed bridge that has become the headquarters for rescue operations in this town near the border with Nepal, desperately scanning arriving boats for signs of his family.

Dozens came in but each time he was disappointed.

Parwan, 43, is from a Dalit village just 2 miles away but completely cut off by a deep lake created by the swirling waters. As the village headman, he was put on the first rescue boat that came and was promised his wife, four children and the rest of the community would follow.

“It’s been six days and since then no boat has come from the village,” he said, tears welling in is eyes.

Dalits have long been shunned, holding a status so low they are considered outside the complex caste system that is all pervasive in India, dividing people into hundreds of groups defined by livelihood, class and ethnicity.

Even India’s emergence as a global force — fueled by it’s economic growth and high-tech hubs — has failed to break down the barriers and stigmas that hold them down.

When it comes to rescue operations, it appears Dalits are at the bottom, too.

In Triveniganj, Dalits huddled together in a small group at the end of the bridge away from everyone else. They said rescuers were saving the upper castes and the rich first, leaving their people to suffer without food and clean water.

“We are 200 people on a roof for days. Two children fell in and drowned. No one is coming to help us,” said Kishore Ram, 22, who got out on one of the few boats to visit his village.

“The officials don’t listen to us little people. We can’t offer bribes and influence, I’m just a poor student,” Ram said.

Hearing about the flood, Prithvi Chand Baswan, a 38-year-old Dalit, rushed home from the neighboring state of Punjab where he works as a farm laborer, searching for his wife and six children, ages 3 to 12. Four miles from home, he was stopped by flooding.

“People from the village say they are sheltering in the temple, but I can’t get to them and they won’t send a boat for a Dalit village,” he said, holding his head in despair.

Ravindra Prasad Singh, a state government official coordinating rescue work in Triveniganj, about 875 miles east of New Delhi, the capital, denied that Dalits were being ignored.

“It’s ridiculous. They are lying,” he said, but he could not explain why only a single boat of Dalits had come in during all of Sunday afternoon even though they make up more than half the region’s people.

On Monday, other government officials acknowledged there was a serious problem with Dalits being ignored, but said they were working to fix it.

“We are aware of these complaints,” said Prataya Amrit, a top disaster management official in Bihar state, the scene of the flooding.

Amrit said greater resources were being sent to Dalit majority areas like Triveniganj and army and navy officers were now handling rescues to ensure less abuses.

The military “presence will instill a lot of confidence,” he said. “In an operation of this magnitude you can’t distinguish between rich and poor.”

Officials also commandeered private boats in an effort to prevent richer and higher castes from monopolizing the vessels.

India’s treatment of Dalits is a long and bitter history of good intentions and little progress.

Caste discrimination has been outlawed for more than a half century, and a quota system was established with the aim of giving Dalits a fair share of government jobs and places in schools. But their plight remains dire.

Most Dalits, like Parwan, live in destitute villages of rickety mud and thatch huts with no electricity or running water, kept down by ancient prejudice and caste-based politics.

In much of rural India, people from lower castes are barred from using upper-caste drinking wells, kept out of temples and denied spots in village. Ignoring the prohibitions is often met with violence.

In times of calamity, their situation is no better.

“Caste hierarchy is a source of deep emotions in India. In the face of these emotions it is difficult for the law or the army to do anything,” said Chandrabhan Prasad, a New Delhi-based caste expert. “The rescuers have their caste loyalty and will try rescue their own first.”

Faced with indifference and even hostility from many officials, one group of Dalits gave up waiting for help and waded into the neck-deep water in search of their kin.

“What can we do?” Parwan said, after being angrily shooed away by Singh for again asking to be given a boat to help his village.

“I’m just a Harijan,” Parwan added, using a euphemism for Dalits coined by Indian pacifist icon Mohandas K. Gandhi. It means “child of God.”

Posted on: September 1, 2008

Massive rally in India's capitol and nation-wide closure of Christian schools

For immediate release

New Delhi, August 29, 2008

Reports of attacks from the eastern state of Orissa are decreasing, but many rural villages remain cut off from communication and being attacked at night. Outside Orissa, the Indian Christian community engaged in several peaceful protest actions to highlight the breakdown of the rule of law and governance. After six days of rioting, the Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, broke his silence and called the violence a “national shame”.

“We are thankful that we did not receive any reports of new attacks last night. However, there are literally thousands of displaced Christians whose homes were destroyed in the mob violence. Hundreds more are afraid to return home,” said Rev. P.R. Parichha, All India Christian Council (aicc) Orissa state president. “The violence in towns and cities seems to be over, but the villages face the strong possibility of more attacks since security forces are spread thin. We still are requesting military intervention,” said Parichha.

Media reports said Orissa officials estimate 4,000 Christian families are homeless. The death toll, currently at 17, is expected to raise as troops secure rural areas. The violence, which at one point spread across 12 of 30 districts in the state, now seems to be contained to Kandhamal District, the epicenter of similar attacks during Christmas 2007.

In protest of the collapse of governance and the rule of law in Orissa, about 10,000 Christians rallied in New Delhi this morning and were joined by Muslims, Buddhists, and progressive Hindus. Protestors tried to march to Orissa Bhavan (the official state government guest house in the capitol), but police issued a localized curfew to stop the rally. Attendees were forced to regroup at the Teen Murti traffic circle, but eventually reached Orissa Bhavan.

“Udit Raj, a major Dalit leader, and other non-Christian human rights activists clearly explained that the violence in Orissa is not because Christians are fraudulently converting people. That allegation is simply lie and hate propaganda.”

Civil society leaders suggested India needs an investigation into why Hindu nationalist organizations – who have converted tribals and Dalits in a major campaign – are not being held accountable under Orissa’s 1967 Freedom of Religion Act. “We must confront the fictional idea of “re-conversions”, created by Hindutva activists, which ignores the fact that these people’s ancestors were animists and not Hindus,” said Rev. Madhu Chandra, aicc Regional Secretary and a member of the rally’s organizing committee.

Also, an estimated 30,000 Christian schools across India closed their doors on Friday. The goal was to make millions of children – and their parents – aware of the evil of communal violence and the damage it is doing to the world’s largest democracy. Aicc and major church networks which called for the closure encouraged people to pray for victims as well as perpetrators. Much of the Indian press inaccurately reported that only Roman Catholic schools were closed.

Christian leaders are also calling for a day of prayer and fasting across India on September 7, 2008.

In the aftermath of the murder of a Hindu swami by unknown assailants on August 23, 2008, mobs attacked the Christian community across the eastern state of Orissa. Media reports and eye witness accounts from aicc leaders indicate thousands of Christian properties burnt, sexual assaults of nuns, and pastors killed in their homes. See dedicated webpage at: http://indianchristians.in/news/content/view/2332/45/

For more information, contact Sam Paul, aicc Secretary, Public Affairs, , +91-9989697778

Release by

Madhu Chandra
Regional Secretary

Posted on: August 29, 2008

Unprecedented Anti-Christian Violence Spirals Out of Control in India

HYDERABAD, August 28, 2008, 23:15 hrs

For immediate release

Reports from eastern India of burning Christian homes, murdered pastors, and massive destruction of Christian property continued for a sixth day. All India Christian Council (aicc) leaders in Orissa state reported 17 Christians are dead and expect the figure to rise when communication is made with remote regions.

“Differences over religion cannot be blamed for these crimes. We are distressed at the defiance of law and order by Hindu fundamentalist leaders and their public comments which are spreading lies and hate. Their unpardonable excuse is that followers are uncontrollably angry about Christian conversions in the region,” said Dr. Joseph D’souza, aicc President. “We are also deeply troubled by the state and central government’s inadequate response. The fact that identical attacks happened in the same area exactly nine months ago is unbelievable. What will convince authorities to protect human rights and enforce constitutional guarantees?”

Although some state authorities claimed there were no new attacks, the situation continues to spiral out of control, especially in rural villages. Yesterday police were given shoot on sight orders in Kandhamal District, the epicenter of the violence, because mobs were violating curfews. Also, the Minister of State for Home Affairs, Mr. Prakash Jaiswal, was supposed to visit affected areas. But his trip was canceled due to security concerns. Aicc had reliable reports of increased violence in Gajapati District in the southern part of the state.

Today Human Rights Watch, Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), and Dalit Freedom Network (DFN) sent joint letters to the U.K. Foreign Secretary, U.S. Secretary of State, French Foreign Minister, and European Commissioner for External Relations urging them to issue statements of concern about the anti-Christian attacks in Orissa. CSW and DFN are aicc partners in Britain and the USA, respectively. France currently holds the presidency of the Council of the European Union.

Yesterday, in his afternoon address at Vatican Square, Pope Benedict XVI said he was deeply saddened by the violence against India’s Christians. A senior Vatican official called the attacks “a sin against God and humanity” according to one newspaper.

A seven member inter-denominational delegation from the aicc Orissa state chapter met with the governor, Mr. Murlidhar Chandrakant Bhandare, for about 30 minutes this afternoon. “We apprised him of the situation and requested emergency deployment of the army, compensation for the victims, rebuilding of houses and churches, construction of relief camps, and restoration of the rule of law,” said Rev. P.R. Parichha, aicc Orissa state president. This evening the aicc Secretary General was scheduled to meet Sonia Gandhi, Chairperson of the ruling Indian National Congress Party in Delhi.

The aicc is supporting the call from major Indian church networks to close all of India’s Christian schools on Friday, August 29, 2008. The groups want children – and parents – to learn about the situation in Orissa and realize that communal divisions are harmful for India. They have encouraged people to pray for victims as well as perpetrators. It is estimated that about 30,000 schools will close their doors across India.

Christian leaders are also calling for a day of prayer and fasting across India on September 7, 2008.

In the aftermath of the murder of a Hindu swami by unknown assailants on August 23, 2008, mobs attacked the Christian community across the eastern state of Orissa. On Monday, a 12 hour strike called by hardliner Hindu nationalist organizations resulted in the spread of violence. Media reports and eye witness accounts indicate thousands of Christian properties burnt, sexual assaults of nuns, and pastors killed in their homes. See dedicated webpage at: http://indianchristians.in/news/content/view/2332/45/

For more information, contact Sam Paul, aicc Secretary, Public Affairs, , +91-9989697778

Release by

Madhu Chandra
Regional Secretary
9868184939

Posted on: August 28, 2008

Tragic & Widespread Anti-Christian Violence in Eastern India

For immediate release

Government authorities unable to stop Hindu nationalists from wreaking havoc

HYDERABAD – August 26, 2008 – In the aftermath of the murder of a Hindu swami by unknown assailants, mobs attacked the Christian community across the eastern state of Orissa. On Monday, a 12 hour strike called by hardliner Hindu nationalist organizations resulted in spreading violence. Media reports and eye witness accounts indicate several Christians were killed and hundreds of Christian properties burnt.

“Local leaders of the All India Christian Councill have lost count of the churches damaged, Christian homes vandalized, and pastors or priests beaten. On August 26, 1910, Mother Teresa was born. Today, exactly 98 years later, we are deeply saddened that her legacy of peace and compassion are being ignored by society in the state of Orissa,” said Dr. Joseph D’souza, President of the All India Christian Council (aicc).

Large numbers of police and Rapid Action Force troops were deployed over the weekend, yet twelve of thirty districts were reportedly affected by the violence. According to reports collected by the aicc, at least five people have died, one nun was raped, and hundreds of churches, Christian homes, Christian non-profit organizations’ offices, and Christian schools were heavily damaged or destroyed. See list at: http://indianchristians.in/news/content/view/2325/45/
Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP or World Hindu Council) leader Lakshmanananda Saraswati was killed during an attack at an ashram in the hills of Kandhamal District, Orissa, on August 23, 2008, Saturday night. The elderly swami spent several decades in the district. He routinely criticized missionaries for conversion activities and sought to “re-convert” tribals and Dalits. aicc leaders as well as major networks of churches in India, including the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India and the Evangelical Fellowship of India, condemned the killing of the swami and called for his attackers to be arrested and punished.

D’souza said, “The Orissa state government must restore order and prevent VHP activists from carrying out attacks and violating the rule of law. Then they must file cases against the perpetrators and push for rapid convictions. Lastly, we need fair and just compensation to victims, and we appeal to the Prime Minister to visit the victims as soon as possible.” “Today hardliner Hindu nationalists say they cannot control their followers who are simply unleashing their frustration with unethical missionaries. Police say they cannot put officers in every village to protect Christians. Behind all the excuses, the reality is that there is a complete collapse of governance in Orissa,” said John Dayal, aicc Secretary General and Member of the National Integration Council. “It is the duty of the President and Prime Minister of India – as well as state governments – to protect the life, liberty, and property of every citizen. We hope and pray they will act before more innocent people are killed.”

Yesterday, on Aug. 25, 2008, the aicc appealed in writing to various authorities including the Prime Minister, President, Minister of Home Affairs, and various Orissa state government officials such as the Chief Minister and Home Secretary. A delegation of both Protestant and Catholic Christians met the Minister of Home Affairs, Shivraj V. Patil, yesterday, Monday, evening. He offered federal resources but said he was awaiting the required request from the state government.

Orissa is ruled by a coalition government which includes the Bharatiya Janata Party, widely known as a party which embraces the creation of a Hindu homeland. Unlike many other states, Orissa has not set up a state commission for minorities which would investigate discrimination and violence against non-Hindu religious adherents.

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. Several dozen women were sexually harassed and assaulted, and more than 40 shops belonging to Christians were looted and destroyed. Most of the victims were Dalits, formerly known as untouchables.

India’s National Commission for Minorities issued a report after visiting Orissa on January 6-8, 2008 and again on April 21-24, 2008. They noted that caste-based discrimination played a role as well as an anti-conversion campaign conducted by Hindu extremists which “has aimed to prevent the conversion of tribals and Dalits to Christianity.” They faulted state government officials for not preventing the violence. Aicc leaders issued two reports. For these reports and other resources, please visit: http://indianchristians.in/news/content/view/1947/45

For more information, contact Dr. Sam Paul, aicc Secretary Public Affairs

Posted on: August 26, 2008

Spring 08 Newsletter

Download the Spring 08 Newsletter to find out the latest news on DFN’s involvement with the Dalits in India.

Posted on: May 11, 2008

Dalit beaten by upper caste villagers for smoking

Original article from IBN Live.
by Hemender Sharma

Halki Bai, a Dalit woman from Madhya Pradesh’s Biharipura village, does not have any idea where her husband and son have gone. The only thing she remembers is an attack on their house allegedly by the village Thakurs.

She said her husband was mercilessly beaten up and asked to leave the village with a warning not to show his face again.

“The Thakurs do not behave properly with us. It is not just this incident, they do not allow us to fetch water and we are forced to carry our shoes on our heads while passing in front of their houses,” Halki Bai said.

The immediate provocation for the Thakurs’ action was apparently a Dalit smoking without taking permission during a funeral procession. Halki Bai is not the only woman whose husband has been forced out of the village. All male members of the 15 Dalit families in the village have fled and individually reported to the police.

On Saturday, it was the turn of Chaaokiri Chaudhary who alleged the police refused to listen to any complaint against the Thakurs. “I have been forced out of the village. I want justice. I want to go back,” Chakori said.

Meanwhile, SP of Jabalpur Markand Devaskar denied the allegations by the Dalits and said, “There are some complaints and we have taken action but there is nothing like Thakurs forcing the Dalits out of the village.”

Almost all political parties including the ruling BJP in Madhya Pradesh are trying to woo Dalits to make a good votebank. These votes can make the decisive difference but when it comes to making a difference in the life of a Dalit, no one seems to be bothered.

(With inputs from Deepesh in Jabalpur)

Posted on: April 20, 2008

Dalit Advocates Caedmon's Call to play at CBC

Original article by Monica Hooper from The Cabin.net.

Caedmon’s Call will be in Conway on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. in the Reddin Fieldhouse on the campus of Central Baptist College. Cost of admission is $15 with a college ID, $25 for general admission and $25 for artist circle.

Former member Derek Webb, who has been recording solo material, will be a part of Caedmon’s Call’s tour to promote their new album, “Overdressed.” Webb and his wife wrote “Ten Thousand Angels” which was featured on the Jan. 10 episode of Grey’s Anatomy. “It’s nice to have (Webb’s) sound and his style back on our record,” drummer Garett Buell said.

“When we started the band we were college students or just out of college. Nowadays most of us have kids and family responsibilities, which makes it hard to tour… and it put a whole other level onto life. So we tend to write about that. And this record definitely references a lot of what we’re dealing with in life,” Buell said.

Caedmon’s Call is often referred to as a community rather than a band because of the many people who play on their albums and the communal ideology of the band.

Buell explained that the band has been playing together around 15 years. They have a devoted fan base, most of whom belong to The Guild, a collective of Caedmon’s Call fans.

“Our audience has grown with us, since they were in college (when we began the band),” Buell said. “Our fans are great, we collected them when we where young, and they stay there with us no matter what the industry trends are they always stay faithful. We’ve always tried to harbor a relationship with the people who love our music.”

Buell said that the band likes to talk to people who attend their concerts. He added that in the early days the band would take fans to Waffle House after shows. These days, Caedmon’s Call converses with fans through The Guild’s online site, accessible through http://www.caedmonscall.com.

Caedmon’s Call are heavily involved in missionary work as well. In the past, Buell said the group worked with Blood, Water Mission, started by Christian Rock group Jars of Clay, to install clean water wells in impoverished areas of Africa.

The band’s most recent mission is working with the Dalit Freedom Network.

“India took precedence because we found out what was going on with the Dalit people in India. They are the lowest caste, or actually not even considered a part of the caste system because they’re considered less than animals (by the upper classes),” Buell explained.

The Dalits make up about a third of India’s 40 million people. They live in poverty and are poorly educated.

Caedmon’s Call traveled to India and met with other groups and musicians, some of whom contributed to the band’s folk-pop sound.

“We are trying to expose what’s going on over there publicly. And we also developed the Share the Well Foundation to work with Dalit Freedom Network in the United States” and other missions in India, Buell said.

“And we’re trying to promote community in those Dalit areas where we can build schools and give them proper education in their own language,” Buell said.

Caedmon’s Call brings clay cups that Dalit children must drink from on their tour.

“They have to drink out of these clay cups, because when they are done with them they have to smash them on the ground and break them because they don’t want an upper caste to come and accidently drink from one of those glasses because they would become unclean,” Buell said. “They are treated like an atrocity, a side show, there.”

Overall, the idea of the Share The Well Foundation is central to the band’s message, “to change the perspective, change the church culture, and what it means to be a believer, from sitting in the safety of a pew to impacting a hurting world,” says Cliff Young, the band’s leader.

“We live so well here (in the United States). We’re so fortunate and blessed to be in a country like this and be able to grow up in a country like this. ... We wanted to nudge people to think outside the four walls of this country,” Buell said. “We’re called to love our neighbor and show the love of Christ to the rest of the world. And I think that’s what Jesus meant to do, to really show love use what you have to help. And it changes you.”

For tickets to Thursday’s Caedmon’s Call concert, call 800-205-6872.

Posted on: February 4, 2008

Speakers at Historic Rally Demand Orissa Government Tell Truth about Christmas Attacks on Christians

Written by AICC
Thursday, 10 January 2008

For immediate release

About 10,000 protestors from all religious backgrounds; speakers slam Orissa government for blaming Naxalites involvement and limiting Christian NGOs relief efforts

BHUBANESWAR – Jan. 10, 2008 – Today about 9,000-10,000 people marched to the Orissa State Assembly building in Bhubaneswar to protest Christmas attacks on Christians and demand justice for victims. Rally speakers demanded the Orissa state government stop making allegations about Christian association with an outlawed Maoist rebel movement and allow Christian churches and groups to provide direct relief to victims.

“Some people have characterized the violence as a Hindu-Christian clash. This is wrong. Dalit Christians were clearly the targets and innocent victims. The state government has also made baseless accusations that some Christian NGOs are aligned with Naxalites. The authorities must write a white paper or give proof about these sensitive issues instead of spreading rumors,” said Dr. Udit Raj, National Chairman, All India Confederation of SC/ST Organisations. Naxalites are Maoist rebels who often attack government installations throughout central India. Most are disenfranchised Dalits or Tribals.

Christian leaders expressed concern about relief efforts for the devastated Christians in Kandhamal District. “Orissa’s government should allow direct relief projects by churches and Christian NGOs. Currently, we are being told we can only distribute blankets, food and other supplies through the District Collectors. We are deeply concerned this will delay needed assistance and could create opportunities for discrimination or corruption,” said Dr. Joseph D’souza, President, All India Christian Council (aicc). “There is no logical reason to ban the direct involvement of established, peaceful Christian organisations that are already registered with the government.”

Bishop Joab Lohara of the Free Methodist Church said, “We are worried about reports that aid to the homeless Christians still in relief camps is not being fairly distributed. We appeal to authorities to be even-handed in their compensation to victims of this horrific violence. They have suffered enough already.”

The “Stop Violence Against Christians Rally” was sponsored by the All India Confederation of SC/ST Organisations and the aicc. Protestors met at Master Canteen Chowk and marched to the Orissa State Assembly. Speakers included Raj, D’souza, Lohara, as well as Muslims, progressive Hindus, and Buddhists.

Rally organisers also announced they would set up a “Communal Harmony Monitoring Group” which will closely watch relief and compensation for victims and report progress to the national offices of the aicc and SC/ST Confederation. Dr. Udit Raj also demanded that any enquiry commissions set up by the Orissa government include representatives from both the aicc and SC/ST Confederation since they represent Christians and Dalits, respectively.

In the last few days, aicc leaders released two fact finding reports on the anti-Christian violence after visits to rural Orissa. Newly confirmed cases of arson, murder, and assault make this violence qualify as the largest attack on the Christian community in the history of democratic India. Both reports show that the Dalits – formerly known as untouchables – were the main group affected by the violence. Reports are at:

http://indianchristians.in/news/content/view/1826/45/ and

http://groups.google.com/group/JohnDayal/browse_thread/thread/17aef1aebe4f1e70

According to media reports, three investigators appointed by India’s National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) are currently in Orissa. A Christian delegation, including an aicc leader, met with the NHRC chairman on Dec. 31, 2007 in New Delhi to request the visit.

The violence allegedly began when Christians in Bamunigaon village in Kandhamal district of Orissa began to celebrate Christmas Eve on Dec. 24, 2007. Local Hindu fundamentalists opposed the event and a quarrel ensued. Also, a Hindutva leader, Swami Saraswati, was attacked by unknown assailants—he alleged they were Christians. The next day a Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP)-affiliated group called for a strike and VHP members began attacking Christians across the state.

For more information, contact:
Benjamin Marsh
bmarsh@dalitnetwork.org
(919) 841-8280

Posted on: January 10, 2008

Facts Emerge on Christmas Violence in Orissa: 730 Homes, 95 Churches Destroyed, 4 Dead, More Missing

For immediate release:

Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India – All India Christian Council (aicc) leaders released two reports on the anti-Christian violence in Orissa which began on Christmas Eve. Newly confirmed cases of arson, murder, and assault make this violence qualify as the largest attack on the Christian community in the history of democratic India. Both reports show that the Dalits – formerly known as untouchables – were the main group affected by the violence.
Four leaders from aicc chapters in Orissa visited the affected villages from January 3-5 and released their report on Jan. 7, 2008. The report says 95 churches were vandalized or destroyed, 730 Christian homes burnt, and four Christians killed with many still missing and presumed dead. To view the entire Fact Finding Report, see:http://indianchristians.in/news/content/view/1826/45/

On Jan. 5, 2008, aicc Secretary-General John Dayal released a white paper after visiting the area. Advocate Nicholas Barla, a lawyer and human rights expert, and Mr. Hemant Nayak, a social scientist and human rights and development activist, were also part of the fact finding team. They concluded that the attacks on Christians included simultaneous, planned violence by extremist Hindutva supporters and complicity and consistent incompetence by police and local authorities. To view the entire white paper, see:http://groups.google.com/group/JohnDayal/browse_thread/thread/17aef1aebe4f1e70

According to media reports, two members from India’s National Commission for Minorities (NCM), Dileep Padgaonkar and Zoya Hasan, are currently in Orissa to investigate the violence. Aicc leaders met with the NCM chairman on Dec. 27, 2007 in New Delhi.

“We are saddened to acknowledge the violence in Orissa will go into the history books as an unprecedented attack on Christians in India. The tragedy is deepened by proof that the violence was avoidable if the authorities had enforced the rule of law,” said Dr. Joseph D’souza, aicc President.

Together with the All India Confederation of SC/ST Organisations led by Dr. Udit Raj, the aicc will hold a “Stop Violence Against Christians Rally” in Bhubaneswar, Orissa, on January 10, 2008. Protestors will meet at 10am at Master Canteen Chowk and march to the Orissa State Assembly for a public meeting. Confirmed speakers include Dr. Udit Raj, Dr. Joseph D’souza, Bishop Joab Lohara of the Free Methodist Church, and victims from Orissa.

“Many have expressed outrage with the authorities and Hindutva extremists whose actions hurt innocent people during Christmas – a season of peace across the world. But we must express our anger and frustration in a peaceful manner. I invite all Indian citizens of good will to join the “Stop Violence Against Christians Rally” on Thursday,” said D’souza.

The violence allegedly began when Christians in Bamunigaon village in Kandhamal district of Orissa began to celebrate Christmas Eve. Local Hindu fundamentalists opposed the event and a quarrel ensued. Also, a Hindutva leader, Swami Saraswati, was attacked by unknown assailants—he alleged they were Christians. The next day a Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP)-affiliated group called for a strike and VHP members began attacking Christians across the state.

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: www.dalitnetwork.org

Posted on: January 8, 2008

Fact Finding Report by aicc Orissa Chapter

Posted on: January 7, 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

Suffering of Orissa's Christians Presented to National Human Rights Commission of India

Note: As the majority of Christians in India are Dalits, DFN takes a special interest in publicizing cases of persecution of Christians, as well as any form of religious persecution among the Dailts of India, whether they are Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist or Sikhs.

Press Release from the All India Christian Council

For Immediate Release

HYDERABAD – Dec. 31, 2007 –Today a Christian delegation met with Justice Shri S. Rajendra Babu, chairman of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), in New Delhi. The delegation requested action to stop violence against Christians in Orissa and help victims recover. The chairman promised to send a fact finding team immediately. At the same time, two fact finding teams which include aicc leaders continue to be turned away by Orissa police.
The delegation led by Archbishop Vincent Cancessao included: Dr. Udit Raj, National Chairman of the All India Confederation of SC/ST Organisations; Fr. Dominic Emmanuel, spokesperson of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI); Rt. Rev. Karam Masih, former Bishop of the Church of North India (CNI); Ms. Lansinglu Rongmei, Christian Legal Association (CLA); and Mr. Madhu Chandra, Regional Secretary of the All India Christian Council (aicc). They delivered a memorandum with fourteen recommended actions to deal with anti-Christian violence in Kandhamal district and other parts of rural Orissa which erupted on December 24, 2007.
“Our leaders in Orissa and media reports both indicate that attacks on Christians were not spontaneous but preplanned by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and other Hindutva groups. Also, the state government misled the people of India by making repeated statements that the situation was under control. It is tragic. Orissa burned while politicians talked,” said Dr. Joseph D’souza, aicc President. “It seems that most attacks have ceased and now it’s time for all parties and all authorities to help the innocent victims,” said D’souza.
Dr. Udit Raj, National Chairman of the All India Confederation of SC/ST Organisations and a Buddhist, said, “Hindutva leaders say the violence is a response to conversions by Christian missionaries. But this is a lie. Christian missionaries are targeted by Hindutva and upper caste forces because Christians truly provide education and social upliftment services to Dalits and tribals in rural Orissa.”

Massive violence against Christians began on Dec. 24th, Christmas Eve. As of Dec. 30, 2007, the aicc had collected reports of 65 churches burned down, 600 Christian homes destroyed, hundreds of Christians forced to flee into forests to save their lives, and thousands homeless. Despite promises by state and central government leaders during meetings with aicc leaders, the violence continued for at least six days.

“According to some reports, the Orissa government has promised to give 1 lakh (about USD $2,631) compensation to the families of people who died. If true, we welcome this first step. However, Christian leaders have been united in asking authorities for at least 5 lakhs (about USD $13,158) per victim and we hope this request is honored,” said Sam Paul, aicc Secretary, Public Affairs.
An aicc fact finding team headed by John Dayal, aicc Secretary-General and Member of the National Integration Council, tried to reach the hardest hit areas over the weekend. On the evening of Dec. 29, 2007, Inspector General of Police Pradeep Kapoor turned away the team while they were passing through the town of Phulbani. Efforts by another Christian delegation to visit Baminigaon on Dec. 30, 2007, called the epicentre of the trouble, were unsuccessful as well due to police curfews.
John Dayal, aicc Secretary-General and member of the National Integration Council, said, “First-hand accounts of the violence in the Kandhamal district are needed because rumors, absence of authentic media reports, and often inaccurate government accounts of the casualties have left people confused. Our fact finding is important part of building long term peace and harmony and to ensure proper relief, compensation, and rehabilitation.”

Timeline of past events:
•On Dec. 31, 2007 a delegation including an aicc leader met Justice Shri S. Rajendra Babu, chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, in New Delhi.
•On Dec. 30, 2007 candle-light vigils and protest marches were held by Christians in many cities including Delhi (est. attendance 4,000) and Hyderabad.
•On Dec. 30, 2007 the aicc Jharkhand chapter delivered a memo to the state Chief Minister and Governor to request action.
•On Dec. 29, 2007 a delegation including aicc leaders met the Vice President of India, Mohammad Hamid Ansari, in New Delhi and appealed for action by the Central Government.
•On Dec. 29, 2007 a six-person fact-finding team headed by aicc Secretary-General John Dayal is turned back by Orissa police.
•On Dec. 28, 2007 John Dayal reaches Bhubaneswar and holds press conference along with aicc Orissa chapter President Rev. P.R. Parichha and other Christian leaders.
•On Dec. 28, 2007 the Governor of Chennai received a memorandum from the aicc Tamil Nadu chapter demanding action.
•On Dec. 27, 2007 large rallies of Christians and non-Christian civil society leaders were held in numerous cities across India including about 1,000 people in New Delhi.
•On Dec. 27, 2007 a delegation including aicc leaders met the chairman of the National Commission for Minorities, Mohamed Shafi Qureshi, in New Delhi.
•On Dec. 27, 2007 a delegation including aicc leaders met the Minister of Home Affairs, Shivraj V. Patil, in New Delhi.
•On Dec. 27, 2007 an aicc-led delegation met the Orissa Chief Minister, Neevan Patnaik.
•On Dec. 25, 2007 Sam Paul, aicc Secretary, Public Affairs appeals to the President of India in writing.
•On Dec. 24, 2007 John Dayal, aicc Secretary-General appeals to the Prime Minister of India and other officials in writing.

The violence allegedly began when Christians in a village 150 kms from Phulbani, the headquarters of Kandhamal district, began to celebrate Christmas Eve. Local Hindu fundamentalists opposed the event and a fight ensued. Also, a Hindutva leader, Swami Saraswati, was attacked by unknown assailants—allegedly Christians—near Daringbadi while he was travelling. The next day the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) called for a strike and its members began attacking Christians across the state.

For more information, contact:
Benjamin Marsh
bmarsh@dalitnetwork.org
(919) 841-8280

For immediate release

Posted on: December 31, 2007

Fact Finding Teams Tell of Unprecedented Anti-Christian Violence in Orissa

HYDERABAD Dec. 30, 2007

Roads continue to be blocked by Hindutva fundamentalists and police curfews prevent fact finding teams from traveling. Confirmed reports from one village give a sense of the carnage which is likely being under-reported. In Barkhama, a village near Baliguda in Kandhamal district, three pastors emerged after hiding in the jungle for five days and reported: – over 100 Christian homes destroyed – two Christians killed and burnt in front of the local church and another murdered in a market on Christmas Eve – at least fifteen Christians missing and suspected to be killed and buried in the nearby forest

An aicc fact finding team headed by John Dayal, aicc Secretary-General and Member of the National Integration Council, has been unable to reach the hardest hit areas due to police curfews. On Dec. 29, 2007, Inspector General of Police Pradeep Kapur forced the team to leave the affected areas due to safety concerns. Efforts by a Christian delegation to visit Baminigaon, called the epicentre of the trouble, were unsuccessful as well.

We continue to plead with leaders of the worlds largest democracy to uphold the rule of law and protect Christians in rural Orissa. The governments actions seem to be too little, too late. We are distressed that radical Hindutva groups justify their violent attacks on innocent victims especially children by saying they are protesting forced or fraudulent conversions. Similar claims over the past decade have always been proven false. But the bottom line is that religious differences are never an excuse for violence, said Dr. Joseph Dsouza, aicc President.

We are deeply worried by media reports that police and other local authorities in Orissa stood by and watched attacks on Christians. Some media commentators have said the violence is a combination of politics, caste-based discrimination, and religious vendettas. Whatever the motivation, we must not forget that innocent people mostly Dalits and tribals are suffering right now, said Sam Paul, aicc Secretary, Public Affairs.

Upcoming events:

– a Christian delegation including aicc leaders will meet Justice Shri S. Rajendra Babu, Chairman of India’s National Human Rights Commission on Dec. 31, 2007 at 12:30pm

– a major protest rally to be held in Chennai, Tamil Nadu onJanuary 2, 2008

– another rally is planned for in Bhubaneswar, Orissa to be organized by aicc and the All India Confederation of SC/ST Organisations; details to be announced.

Past events:

– On Dec. 30, 2007, candle-light vigils and protest marches were held by Christians in many cities including Delhi and Hyderabad.

– On Dec. 30, 2007 the aicc Jharkhand chapter delivered a memo to the state Chief Minister and Governor to request action.

– On Dec. 29, 2007 the Governor of Chennai received a memorandum from the aicc Tamil Nadu chapter demanding action.

– On Dec. 29, 2007 a delegation including aicc leaders met the Vice President of India, Mohammad Hamid Ansari, and appealed for action by the Central Government.

– On Dec. 27, 2007, large rallies of Christians and non-Christian civil society leaders were held in numerous cities across India including about 1,000 people in New Delhi.

– On Dec. 27, 2007, a delegation including aicc leaders met the chairman of the National Commission for Minorities, Mohamed Shafi Qureshi.

– On Dec. 27, 2007, a delegation including aicc leaders met the Minister of Home Affairs, Shivraj V. Patil.

– On Dec. 27, 2007, an aicc-led delegation met the Orissa Chief Minister, Neevan Patnaik.

The Dalit Freedom Networks mission is to partner with the Dalits (Indias Untouchables) in their quest for religious freedom, social justice, and human dignity by mobilizing human, informational, and financial resources. Their website is:

Posted on: December 30, 2007

All India Christian Council appeals attack on Christians in Orissa

Greetings from the All India Christian Council.

Our Orissa Chapter had been in touch with us about the massive destruction and fear caused by the fundamentalist forces of Orissa in the Districts of Kandhmal and Phulbani.

Since 24th December 2007 just in two days time where the celebrations of Christmas are disturbed at gunpoint, I was informed that 13 Churches in total were demolished or razed to the ground and 3 Christians shot dead and several others injured.

Our local leaders tried to contact the The District Collector and the Superintendent of Police of the District of Kandhamal who are confessing their inability to stop the violence and bloodshed of the Christians and are unable to maintain the law and order.

The District collector and Superintendent of Police of Phulbani have warned our Christian pastors not to come near the Christian places as they are unable to provide security to them. The situation is getting worse by hour and I request your kind intervention in this matter.

If the State Government is unable to control the situation the deployment of Army should not be ruled out before more people get killed and to restore peace and order in the Districts. The affected are poor Christians that are celebrating the birth of Jesus and are soft targets of the RSS and Sangh Parivar fundamentalist elements in the local places.

Madam, I am obtaining the full details of the Churches demolished in a few hours which will be passed on to you.

Thanking you for your kind intervention.

Sincerely Yours,

For more information, contact:
Benjamin Marsh
bmarsh@dalitnetwork.org
(919) 841-8280

Posted on: December 25, 2007

DFN Social Justice Updates

Dalit widow fired from position as cook because students refused to eat food prepared by her “polluted” hands
On December 16th 2007, school officials fired a Dalit cook because students had refused their mid-day meals. While the older students attempted to justify their decision by claiming that the food was “unhygienic,” an investigation revealed that the food was perfectly acceptable to consume. Younger children were more open with their reasons, and declared that they would not eat food prepared by a lower caste woman. Officials believe the boycott is being encouraged by a high-caste village leader and are hesitant to re-hire another Dalit cook for fear that the protests will continue. Their willingness to surrender to community pressures is evidence of the persistence and power of caste-stigma.
Read More here.

Dalit leader murdered by strangulation
On December 14th, 2007 a Dalit village leader in Lapra was strangled to death by “unidentified assailants.” His body was found near a canal the next morning. The police chief claims the death is related to “old rivalries” and will not acknowledge the role caste played in the attack.
Read More here.

Gap between male and female literacy rates is growing, especially in India
A UN report released Wednesday addressed the increasing literacy gap between male and female children of the world. According to the report, South Asian countries, including India, are among the worst for educational equality. Poverty is cited as the primary reason for the disparity, as many poor families who rely on their children for labor and income will send only their sons to school. The report emphasizes that education and employment opportunities will play a vital role in the economic development of these countries, but suggests that the continued exclusion of females from this process could have severe consequences.
Read More here.

The situation for the GSCC pastor in Bihar continues to worsen
If it was not enough for the GSCC pastor in Bihar to be physically attacked and thrown into jail for his commitment to follow Christ, he and his wife are now facing urgent medical problems. While he is suffering from a kidney stone that may require an operation, his wife is in immediate need of surgery for a gal bladder stone. Her surgery will cost Rps. 12,000 or more. Because the pastor was forced to pay Rps. 700 for his release from jail, they have no money for the medical treatments they so desperately need.

Posted on: December 21, 2007

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.

Released by
Mr. Madhu Chandra
Regional Secretary, aicc

Posted on: December 16, 2007

Not Quite Like Us

THE SENSEX hit 20,000 points in early November, breaking all records. Corporate India is on the rise, and gloats unabashedly. An international collaborative study has revealed, however, that Corporate India would rather march on without offering Dalits and Muslims a share.

If you applied for an entry-level job in the corporate sector with a name like Ramdas Chamar or Mohan Paswan, and also sent a résumé as Badrinath Shrivastav or Sundaram Iyengar with the same set of credentials, the applications bearing the distinctly Dalit names (Chamar/Paswan) are less likely to get a response. Those with Muslim names tend to fare even worse. These are the findings of a two-year collaborative study undertaken by researchers at the Indian Institute of Dalit Studies (IIDS), headed by University Grants Commission chairman Sukhadeo Thorat, together with sociologists supported by Princeton University’s Institute for International and Regional Studies. Since October 2005, the multi-pronged study had sought to examine social exclusion in the urban Indian labour market. The findings, published in the form of four papers in Economic and Political Weekly, were deliberated upon recently in Delhi at a conference inaugurated by Union Human Resource Development minister Arjun Singh.

The studies were conceived as “tests of the proposition that discrimination is no longer an issue in Indian labour markets, particularly in the formal, private sector”. Making use of techniques pioneered in the US to measure discrimi nation against blacks and other social minorities, the study has established conclusively that the private sector, left to its own devices, would unselfconsciously and prejudicially deny opportunities to Muslims and Dalits. The study establishes discrimination in quantitative terms, and identifies attitudes and beliefs through qualitative means that contribute to discriminatory pat terns of hiring.

Formulated by Thorat and Paul Attewell of the City University of New York, the field experiment sought to verify name-related prejudices in Indian corporations. Over a period of 66 weeks, the research team made 4,808 applications for 548 openings, responding to entry level jobs advertised in national and regional English language newspapers, in cluding The Times of India, Hindustan Times, The Hindu, Deccan Herald and Deccan Chronicle. Applications were made to companies across the corporate sector, includ ing those in securities and investments, pharmaceuticals and medical sales, computer sales, support and IT services, manu facturing, accounting, automobile sales and financing, marketing and mass media, veterinary and agricul tural sales, construction and banking.

IIDS research staff sub mitted sets of three matched application letters and résumés (in English) for each type of job, each application having identical educational qualifications and levels of experience. The matched applications differed only in the name of each male applicant. “No explicit mention of caste or religious background was made,” explains Thorat. “However, in each matched set, one application was for a person who had a stereotypically highcaste Hindu family name. The second was for an applicant with an identifiably Muslim name, and the third had a distinctively Dalit name.”

The authors of the study introduced a twist, adding one ‘discordant’ application to these three. “For jobs that required a higher degree, we sent in an additional applica tion from a person with a high-caste name who only had a bachelor’s degree. That is, an academically under-qualified person but from a socially highranking group. For jobs that required BA degrees, we added a person with a Dalit name who had a master’s degree, someone overqualified in academic terms but with a socially lower status.”

THERE WERE 450 positive outcomes, where employers either phoned or wrote to certain ‘applicants’ asking to interview the person. “We defined a positive outcome as simply entering the second stage of the job-search process: being contacted for an interview or for testing,” says Attewell. As the results proved, the odds of a Dalit being invited for an interview were about two-thirds of the odds of a high-caste applicant with the same qualifications. The odds of a Muslim applicant being called were worse: only one third as often as the high-caste Hindu counterpart. With the discordant applications, it was found that an under-qualified high-caste candidate had an edge over an overqualified Dalit or Muslim. Says Thorat: “This proves that social exclusion is not a residue of the past, nor is it merely a rural phenomenon. Caste and communal discrimination are prevalent in modern corporations.”

Thorat and Attewell say an empirical survey on the presence of Dalits and other minorities in the private sector was beyond the scope of this study given Indian industry’s wariness on this issue. “Companies in India are not obliged to report the caste and religious composition of their workforces to the government. US law, on the other hand, requires companies of a certain size to report the gender and racial composition of their workforces to the federal government, and these data are monitored by the Federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission,” says Attewell.

The private sector in India, largely unaccountable to any external or internal authority on social indices, may soon be forced to change its ways. The Centre is all set to establish an Equal Opportunity Commission (EOC). A five-member expert committee, likely to be headed by NR Madhava Menon, and including social scientists Javed Alam, Satish Deshpande and Yogendra Yadav, will decide on the contours of the proposed EOC. “It remains to be seen whether this Commission, when formed, will have teeth; and if it does, will they be used to bite,” says a skeptical A. Ramaiah, Chairperson, Centre for the Study of Social Exclusion and Inclusive Policy at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai.

Another paper by Surinder Jodhka, sociologist with Jawaharlal Nehru University, and Katherine Newman of Princeton University, presented the results of a qualitative interview-based study of 25 human resource managers in large firms based in New Delhi and the National Capital Region. These firms have close to 20 lakh ‘core’ workers on their payroll. TEHELKA has learnt that the firms interviewed included heavyweights like ITC, Jet Airways, Maruti Udyog and Hero Honda. “Companies that scored high on the corporate social responsibility index were chosen,” Jodhka told TEHELKA. The study found that the HR managers spoke a new language of merit when describing hiring policies. “Worldliness, sophistication, and exposure to international issues were considered essential apart from scholastic record,” says Newman.

However, when pressed on whether qualifications alone mattered, every HR manager insisted that ‘family background’ was the clincher. “While Americans firms invoke race as a signal, the family in India is seen as a crucible of personal qualities. This would indeed contradict the idea of ‘merit’ which, as understood classically, entails rising above one’s station and family of origin,” says Newman. When questions in an interview turn to the ‘family’, it is invariably a euphemism for caste. “However eligible, if the candidate’s father was not a graduate or was a farmhand, the corporate sector would not give him a chance,” says Jodhka. Another study of Dalit and non-Dalit graduates from Delhi School of Economics, JNU and Jamia Milia Islamia found that several Dalit candidates preferred to ‘lie’ about their background during corporate interviews. The IIDS-Princeton study proves that merit is not a technical issue; it has a large social component.

The very structuring of this study demonstrates corporate casteism. When Jodhka and Newman wrote to HR managers formally seeking to interview them, Jodhka used the JNU letterhead and mentioned Princeton’s association with the study. IIDS, the pivot of the study, was never mentioned. “Had we used the IIDS letterhead, it is possible none of the HR managers would have even entertained our questions,” says Jodhka.

From Tehelka Magazine, Vol 4, Issue 45, Dated Nov 24, 2007.

Posted on: December 3, 2007

National Association of Evangelicals Puts Forth a Statement of Conscience Concerning the Dalits

Written in Conjunction with the Dalit Freedom Network, Historic Statement Calls for Action on Behalf of Dalits in South Asia

Washington, DC – The National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) Board of Directors on Thursday, October 11, 2007 unanimously agreed to put forth a Statement of Conscience Concerning the Dalits. This Statement is the third Statement of Conscience from the NAE and the first dealing with the crisis of Caste abuse and Untouchability in India.

The Statement was written in conjunction with the Dalit Freedom Network (DFN) and was presented to the Board by DFN International President Joseph D’Souza. Dr. D’Souza introduced the Statement with a broad overview of the present challenges facing Dalits and encouraged the leaders around the room to rise to the challenge of facing the world’s largest and oldest form of mental and spiritual slavery.

The response was overwhelming, said Dr. D’Souza. NAE’s leadership understands the critical nature of anti-Dalit persecution and has risen to face it with this strong statement.

There are those who suggest that to judge the practices of another culture is unsuitable, and a violation of tolerance. But moral absolutes do exist, there is justice and injustice and evangelicals intend to stand up and demonstrate Christ’s own love for the poor and the oppressed around the world, said Richard Cizik, NAE Vice President for Governmental Affairs.

The Statement of Conscience Concerning the Dalits begins with a broad overview of Caste and the abuse that follows from its hierarchical mindset, including physical violence against Dalits, economic discrimination, social discrimination, and religious persecution. The Statement then contains a moving “Call to Action” for all Christian leaders to publicly acknowledge the discrimination facing the Dalits and to call on the Government of the United States to work with Indian leadership to end Caste discrimination. Significantly, the Statement calls on the Government Accounting Office to prepare a report detailing the effects of foreign aid on the Dalits and calls on the State Department to produce a report dealing solely with the issue of Caste discrimination in South Asia

The Statement of Conscience Concerning the Dalits is available from the NAE’s website (http://www.nae.net) and from DFN’s website at the bottom of this article.

The mission of the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) is to extend the kingdom of God through a fellowship of member denominations, churches, organizations, and individuals, demonstrating the unity of the body of Christ by standing for biblical truth, speaking with a representative voice, and serving the evangelical community through united action, cooperative ministry, and strategic planning. Founded in 1942, the Association is currently led by president Leith Anderson, senior pastor of Wooddale Church in Eden Prairie, MN. NAE represents more than 45,000 local churches from 61 different denominations and serves a constituency of millions.

NAE 2007 Statement of Conscience Concerning Dalits-Adopted 10-11-2007.pdf

Posted on: October 25, 2007

Nick News with Linda Ellerbee and DFN'S Kumar Swamy Travels to India

NEW YORK, October 10, 2007 – With one billion people, India is the world’s largest democracy, often cited as an example to developing nations. India, however, has a dirty little secret—a caste system that still excludes more than 150 million people, known as Dalits. What’s it like to be a Dalit kid?

Award-winning journalist Linda Ellerbee travels to India to give American kids a first-hand look into the world of the Dalits on Nick News’ The Untouchable Kids of India, premiering Sunday, October 21, at 8:30 p.m. (ET/PT) on Nickelodeon.

In India, if you’re born Hindu, which 80% of the population is, you’re automatically assigned a place in India’s 3000-year-old caste system. But then there are the Dalits, the outcasts, or as they had been more commonly known, the untouchables – people deemed so far below the rest they’re considered to be sub-human. And although it has been illegal in India to practice “untouch-ability” since 1950, inequality and segregation still occur.

“We’ve seen kids here in America fight racism. Now we’re watching kids in India do the same,” said Ellerbee. “It’s inspiring.”

Viewers meet Sangeeta, a 12-year-old girl who lives in a village where Dalit and non-Dalit are strictly segregated. As Sangeeta explains, “The upper caste people would not want me drinking water from their well. The children are telling me don’t come over here. I am ashamed about my caste. I am getting angry.”

Next, viewers are introduced to 15-year-old Jagdeesh who lives in a Dalit village totally isolated from the main village. Jagdeesh has had trouble with people in the main village. “They are threatening that if I pass through their village they will definitely make sure that I am beaten up very badly.” He hopes the government will help correct the injustices Dalits face.

Many Dalits are now refusing to be victims. Neeru is a young girl who makes films about her experiences, hoping to educate both Dalits and non-Dalits. Neeru’s controversial films have been banned in the past; however, that doesn’t stop her from continuing to make movies. Neeru says, “When I see the work which is being done, I am proud about it. Even I can do something. I am worth something.”

Lastly, we meet Jayesh and Ashish, two 14-year-old boys who became friends before they knew they weren’t supposed to. Jayesh is Dalit. Ashish is a member of an upper caste. Ashish says, “I want to tell every one of them to please stop all of this, we are all one, we should remain one.”

Says Ellerbee, “Can they change their world? As Gandhi said, ‘you may never know what result may come from your action, but if you do nothing, there will be no result.’

Nick News, which last year celebrated its 15th year anniversary, is the longest-running kids’ news show in television history, and has built its reputation on the respectful and direct way it speaks to kids about the important issues of the day. Over the years, Nick News has received more than 20 Emmy nominations and numerous Emmy wins. Most recently, in 2007, “Private Worlds: Kids and Autism” won the Emmy for Outstanding Children’s Programming. In 1994, the entire series, Nick News, won the Emmy for Outstanding Children’s Programming. In 1998, “What Are You Staring At?” a program about kids with physical disabilities, won the Emmy for Outstanding Children’s Programming. In 2002, “Faces of Hope: The Kids of Afghanistan,” won the Emmy for Outstanding Children’s Programming. In 2004, two Nick News Specials, “The Courage to Live: Kids, South Africa and AIDS” and “There’s No Place Like Home,” a special about homeless kids in America, were both nominated for the Outstanding Children’s Programming Emmy. In 2005, it won the Emmy for Outstanding Children’s Programming for its show, “From the Holocaust to the Sudan.” Nick News, produced by Lucky Duck Productions, is also the recipient of three Peabody Awards, including a personal award given to Ellerbee for her coverage for kids of the President Clinton investigation. The series has also received two Columbia duPont Awards and more than a dozen Parents’ Choice Awards.

Nickelodeon, in its 28th year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The company includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, online, recreation, books, magazines and feature films. Nickelodeon’s U.S. television network is seen in almost 94 million households and has been the number-one-rated basic cable network for 13 consecutive years. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B).

Posted on: October 18, 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

Indian Justice Party Workers Arrested from a Protest Rally against Supreme Court's Stay Order on OBC

Press Release from the All India Confederation of SC/ST Organizations

New Delhi, July 31, 2007

Today, a large number of workers of Indian Justice Party, All India Confederation of SC/ST Organizations, Yadav Mahasabha and other organizations attended a Dharna at JNU City Center , Near Mandi House, New Delhi and proceeded to Gherao Supreme Court. Party workers and supporters of the rally were arrested.

The President of Indian Justice Party, Dr. Udit Raj, spoke that higher judiciary has been hindering the cause of social justice. The Central Govt. made 93rd Constitutional Amendment to provide reservation to OBCs in higher education and to strengthen it further, a bill was mooted in Parliament, which was unanimously passed except two Members of Parliament. After that the Central Educational Institutions (Reservation In Admission) Act, 2006 was enacted so that OBC could get admission in higher education. Dr. Udit Raj said that unfortunately, the Supreme Court stepped into and stalled its implementations. In any democratic setup, it is voice of people which is supreme and Parliament is precisely representation of citizens of the nation.

The regional secretary of All India Christian Council, Mr. Madhu Chandra, stated that the Rangnath Misra Commission has recommended the reservation for dalit Christians, because of biasness on the part of Supreme Court, Dalit Christians and Muslims are being deprived of their rights. He said that Dalits are dalits whether they adhere to Hinduism, Christianity or any other faiths.

Dr. Udit Raj said that Supreme Court deviated from its own stand, “No work, no Pay” in the case of striking doctors of AIIMS. Last year, the AIIMS doctors went on strike for a long time and as per higher judiciary earlier judgment like “No work, no Pay”, it could have maintained the same yardstick but in the case of AIIMS, the doctors were allowed to get the salary without work. This is the double speak of higher judiciary. It is the higher judiciary, which is protecting anti-reservationist director of AIIMS, Dr. Venugopal.

Since the judiciary is practicing castism, therefore, there is urgent call to bring it back to its original position. The original position in the Constitution is that it is the executive which has got primacy in appointing the judges but the Supreme Court by its own judgments have usurped the power. Dr. Udit Raj said that the functioning of the democratic form of the government is rational and proper only when judiciary is appointed by political wing as in case of developed nations like USA or there should be a National Judicial Commission, which should appoint the judges. He urged all political parties to bring a Bill in coming Parliament session to make National Judicial Commission. At present four posts of Supreme Court are lying vacant, we urge the government to fill them up from dalits, OBCs, Muslims and dalit Christians.

HRD Ministry has already done full exercise to implement OBC reservation in higher education. It is the Supreme Court which has stayed its implementation, said Dr. Udit Raj. The Supreme Court must vacate the stay order today so that plank of social justice is not thwarted.

Posted on: July 31, 2007

All India Christian Council (aicc) disappointed at the delay in granting equal rights to Dalits.

From the All India Christian Council (aicc)

NEW DELHI , JULY 24, 2007

Christian leaders have expressed dismay at another eight-week delay to the resolution of the case in the Supreme Court pleading to grant equal rights to the Dalits irrespective of the religion they profess. Dalits who embrace Christianity or Islam surrender their status as ‘Scheduled Castes’, and are thereby excluded from the Scheduled Caste net of the government for ‘reservation’.

In the previous hearing in April 2007, the Government’s delegation told the Court that they were waiting for the report of the Justice Ranganath Misra Commission before they decided on extending ‘reservations’ to Christians of Dalit background. On 19 July 2007, Mr. Shanti Bushan, the counsel for the Petitioner Organization “Center For Public Interest Litigation”, along with Mr. Ram Jethmalini contended before the bench that the UPA government was deliberately delaying the decision on the recommendations of Justice Rangnath Misra Commission submitted to the government in May 2007. The bench comprised Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan, Justices R V Raveendran and Dalveer Bhandari.

The Government’s delegation informed the court that the Justice Ranganath Misra Commission report will be referred to the National Commission of Scheduled Castes for their concurrence and will come back to report to the Supreme Court within eight weeks. “We trust that actions will follow the assurances given to the Court,” said Dr. Sam Paul, National Secretary, All India Christian Council.

Dr. John Dayal, Secretary General of All India Christian Council led a delegation to meet with Dr. Buta Singh the Chairman of the National Commission of Scheduled Castes, who assured the delegation that the matter of reservations to Dalit Christians will be looked at compassionately.

“On behalf of thousands of Christian leaders, and 1.6 Crore Dalit Christians, we appeal to the National Commission of Scheduled Castes to honor the findings of Justice Ranganath Misra Commission which did a thorough job of studying this issue,” said Dr. Joseph D’ Souza, President All India Christian Council. The Justice Misra Commission said:, “…..we recommend that para 3 of the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order 1950 – which originally restricted the Scheduled Caste net to the Hindus and later opened it to Sikhs and Buddhists, thus still excluding from its purview the Muslims, Christians, Jains and Parsis, etc. – should be wholly deleted by appropriate action so as to completely de-link the Scheduled Caste status from religion and make the Scheduled Castes net fully religion-neutral like that of the Scheduled Tribes.”

Posted on: July 24, 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.

Download House Concurrent Resolution 139

HCR_139.pdf

Posted on: July 23, 2007

Supreme Court Decision on July 19 for India's Dalit Christians

For Immediate Release

Here’s an official update for the long-awaited status of the Indian Supreme Court Reservation Decision:

On July 19, 2007, the Supreme Court of India is scheduled to hear a case which could drastically change the lives of millions of Dalits.

Three years ago, a Dalit Christian sued the Indian government and asked for Scheduled Caste status. Scheduled Caste is the official term for the Dalit or, formerly “untouchable”, community. As you might remember, the Constitution (Scheduled Caste) Order, a law issued by the Indian president in 1950, only awarded government benefits to Hindus. It was later amended to grant Sikhs and Buddhists, as well as Hindus, assistance such as admissions into educational institutions and government jobs.

The case, and a similar lawsuit by a Dalit Muslim, has been repeatedly delayed. The Supreme Court said they were waiting for a report by the “Misra Commission”, a panel appointed in late 2004 to investigate the socio-economic status of Dalits from non-Hindu faiths. The panel finally released their report in mid-May and recommended that the government extend benefits to all Dalits, regardless of their religion!

Officially known as the National Commission on Linguistic & Religious Minorities, the panel said that Scheduled Caste members who embrace religions other than Hinduism still suffer massive discrimination and need special provisions like any other Scheduled Caste members. Leaders from the All India Christian Council testified several times before the panel about the plight of Dalits Christians.

For more information, contact:

Debbie Bailey, Dalit Freedom Network, at 866.921.1333

Posted on: July 9, 2007

DFN Partner Announces Law and Policy Database

From the aicc

June 27, 2007

Free website contains laws on religion, untouchability, and human rights.

Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India – The All India Christian Council today announced the publication of a comprehensive database of laws and policies regarding religious freedom and human rights in India. The database is the first of its kind and contains documents, including anti-conversion laws, which were previous unavailable to the public.

“This is a unique contribution by the All India Christian Council to the world of human rights,” said Nanci Ricks, President of the Dalit Freedom Network. “This is a valuable tool for anybody working on human rights in India.”

The database is the result of hundreds of hours of effort from aicc researchers and volunteers. It is free for all. “This website is the groundwork for great human rights advances in India,” said Moses Parmar, North India Director for the India Christian Council. “We will continue adding to the database as more laws are found.”

In addition to completing the database of anti-conversion laws and statues related to Caste, aicc researchers plan on adding a section on “forms of discrimination” which will contain laws regarding manual scavenging, child labor, and other violations against Dalits in India.

Posted on: June 29, 2007

Caste apartheid in India - Ahmedabad is witnessing ''only-Dalit'' residential societies

From the India Daily
June 19, 2007

In a recent trend, Ahmedabad is witnessing ‘’only Dalit‘’ residential societies—around 300 of which have come up in the last few years. However, for most Dalits, it is not a matter of choice, but of compulsion.

“Even if a Dalit can afford a flat in areas dominated by the upper castes, they are often denied by the builders or the seller,” retired IAS officer P K Valera, who lives in one such Dalit society in Ramdevnagar, says.

Some social scientists say the alienation started in 1982, after the anti-reservation agitation, but agree that the caste and class distinctions have become more serious in recent years. This trend can be seen not only in the walled city but also in the posh areas of west Ahmedabad like Satellite, Vastrapur, Bodakdev, Ambavadi. Socio-political scientist Achyut Yagnik says, “There are more than 300 Dalit societies in the city. In Chandkheda alone, there are 200 societies, most of which have come up after the 2002 riots when people moved out from Gomtipur, Bapunagar and Dani limda area. You will find construction contractors who only build Dalit societies.”

Posted on: June 21, 2007

Thousands of Christians "Arrested" in Peaceful Protest Against Growing Anti-Christian Violence

For immediate release

May 29, 2007

NEW DELHI, INDIA – May 29, 2007: More than 4,000 protesters marched through the streets of India’s capital today to call for the Union Government of India to break its silence on violence against Christians across the country. The rally, called “Stop Violence On Christians”, was organized after two recently televised attacks on Christians and an increase of anti-Christian incidents in the first few months of 2007.

The rally started at 10am at Jantar Mantar near the Parliament in New Delhi. Rally organizers had expected 2,000 people, but attendance was estimated at 5,000. Speeches demanded human dignity and constitutional rights for the Christian community and other repressed minorities. Minorities are facing harassment from Hindutva fundamentalists and, in many cases, local government officials.

The Station House Officer, Parliament Street Police Station, said he had “arrested” approximately 4,000 people at 1:05pm and released them at 2:10pm. It is standard practice for protesters who obstruct traffic to be detoured into the police station yard. They are temporarily detained for their own protection and allowed to state their demands to police authorities.

“This was the first time since November 1997 that such large numbers of Christians have been arrested in the Parliament Street Police Station. It was incredible to see Catholic nuns, Protestant pastors, civil society activists and more singing Christian songs of liberation within the police station,” said John Dayal, Secretary General, All India Christian Council (aicc).

Large numbers of Catholics and Evangelicals were joined by Muslims, Buddhists and progressive Hindus, leaders of various women’s organizations, students groups from several universities, and Christian lawyers, teachers, and professors. Rally organizers reported attendees from at least seven states in India.

Dr. Joseph D’souza, President of the Dalit Freedom Network and the All India Christian Council, said, “The diversity of protesters, from several religious communities, different Christian denominations, and even civil society groups, show that India’s citizens want a truly secular India. People should be able to practice their faith without violent attacks. The government’s silence in the face of recent anti-Christian incidents is not only an injustice, it is dangerous.”

Christian leaders fear copycat attacks could come in the future due to silence by government authorities after recently televised beatings of pastors. Throughout the morning crowds chanted, “Prime Minister, your silence kills”.

At 12:15pm, crowds began a march to present a memorandum of demands to the Prime Minister of India. However, a majority of the attendees were detained at the Parliament Street Police Station. Organizers said that they decided not to submit the memorandum as originally planned. Instead, it will be released as an open letter to the government.

Recent victims of anti-Christian violence spoke, such as Rev. Walter Masih from Jaipur, Rajasthan, whose beating by masked attackers on April 29, 2007 was broadcast nationally. Rev. Masih walks with a limp due to the attack and shared his experience with the crowd inside the police station with the help of a police PA system.

Throughout the day, other speakers protested the recent wave of violence, demanded immediate implementation of the Misra Commission recommendations, and even proposed new legislation.

Bishop Karam Masih, Bishop of Delhi, Church of North India (CNI), said, “Today I don’t come as a CNI leader. I come as a Christian. All denominations should unite until all the anti-Christian atrocities stop.”

Dr. Ms. Begum Fatima Shahmaz, India Peace Organization, said, “Those parties and groups who are persecuting Christians should be treated as terrorists. It is unacceptable to attack others based on a difference in spiritual beliefs.”

Dr. Udit Raj, National Chairman, All India Confederation of Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes Organizations, said, “Today there is a special unity of Christians and Dalits around the country. We, Dalits, have been attacked for thousands of years and you have been recently attacked. Christians have given much to this country so I want to teach you how to be united, and, if you are united, we can stop the attacks.”

Mr. Mudra Rakshas, noted Hindi writer and theatre artist, said, “Because of the increasing attacks, we need a new law that tells police how they should handle people who are mistreating Christians. We should agitate until the new law comes.”

The Misra Commission, officially called the National Commission for Religious & Linguistic Minorities, recommended last week that the Union Government change a 1950 law which restricts government benefits to Scheduled Castes who are Hindu, Sikh or Buddhist. Scheduled caste is the official term for the Dalit or, formerly “untouchable”, community. Millions of poor Dalit Muslims and Dalit Christians would benefit from the change and the recommendations will likely affect pending cases before the Supreme Court of India.

The All India Christian Council (aicc) was a co-sponsor of the rally. Other organizers included several Christian groups and the All India Confederation of SC/ST Organizations.

The aicc said meetings similar to the Delhi gathering were planned for today in Mumbai and smaller cities like Nagpur and Pune. They also confirmed that yesterday, in 23 of 25 districts in Andhra Pradesh, protest marches were held under the leadership of local aicc chapters.

In 2006, there was an incident of harassment or violence against Christians approximately once every three days. In the first four months of 2007, there has been an attack every other day on average, according to records kept by the aicc. In addition to the televised attack on Rev. Masih, an attack by Hindutva activists on two pastors in Kolhapur, Maharashtra, was televised on May 9, 2007.

For more information, contact:

Ben Marsh, Washington D.C. Coordinator, Dalit Freedom Network

(703) 974-1243

Posted on: May 30, 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

Priest shot and injured seriously in New Delhi

By Michael Ireland
Chief Correspondent, ASSIST News Service

NEW DELHI, INDIA (ANS)—A priest who is the Principal of Vincent Pallotti School was shot and seriously injured before noon yesterday, a news service in the area reports.

Rev. Father George was shot by two men who came to seek the admission into the school. Father George has been admitted into a private hospital. No further details were available on this incident.

Meanwhile, a 57-year-old Dalit has been brutally persecuted by police in Kerala, according to Salem Voice Ministries (SVM) news service.

The news service says a Dalit Christian named Chacko was savagely tortured by the police on May 14 at Karimkunnam Police Station in Thodupuzha in Idukki District of Kerala in India.

The agency says Police brutally nailed Chacko’s penis with steel pins.

Chacko was admitted to the District Co-operative Hospital when he became unconcious. Doctors removed the steel pins from his penis through immediate surgery.

Chacko, who lives in Vellappuzha House at Purappuzha Village, went to the police station along with his wife Kuttiyamma to make a complaint. In the complaint they stated that Kaniyamparambil Manoj and his wife Maya forcibly entered their house and beat them severely due to a quarrel.

“Police called both families to the station to make a mutual understanding. But at the station, police sent back Manoj and family and tortured Chacko very cruelly and beat him up,” the SVM report states.

Prasannan, the Circle Inspector of Police in Thodupuzha, went to the hospital, met with Chacko, and started an investigation into the incident.

Rev. Paul Ciniraj, the National President of the Christian Ministers of the Churches of India (CMCI) and the Director of the Salem Voice Ministries, condemned the cruelty of police towards Dalit Christians. He asked the government to punish the related policemen involved in Chacko’s incident.

The Thodupuzha Block Committee of Congress also condemned the attack.

Posted on: May 17, 2007

Indian News Captures Violent Attacks on Christians

For immediate release

May 14, 2007

Indian News Captures Violent Attacks on Christians

Attacks Prompt National Appeal to Congress Party for Protection and Justice

Two recent attacks on Christian leaders were captured by television film crews and have appeared on national news in the past week. The attacks have prompted a letter from Dr. Joseph D’Souza, president of the Dalit Freedom Network and the All India Christian Council, and other prominent Christian leaders to appeal to the Congress party for protection for Christians and justice for those who have been attacked.

In the first attack, Pastor Walter Masih was beaten in his small house in Jaipur, Rajasthan following his Sunday morning service. He was hit repeatedly by Hindu youth as his daughter cowered behind a door on April 29, 2007. Video of this attack is available here: http://www.ibnlive.com/videos/39465/pastor-attack-media-under-scanner.html

In the second attack, two priests were beaten by a mob of Hindu extremists from the Bajrang Dal, a Hindu nationalist organization, on May 8, 2007. Claiming that the priests were trying to convert local Hindus, the mob beat the priests and then carried them to a local police station to register charges against them under anti-conversion legislation. The police detained the priest but took not action against the mob who had beaten them. Video of the attack is available here: http://www.ibnlive.com/videos/39994/vhp-activists-beat-up-two-priests.html

Dr. D’Souza commented on these attacks in his letter:

“These images should have seared the conscience of the nation, but they have invited nothing more than a smug silence from all governments—the Congress chief minister in Maharashtra to the BJP chief minister in Rajasthan…. There is little doubt now that Hindutva extremists are running a series of planned attacks against the Christian community for over a year now.

The intensity of these attacks is increasing.”

The attacks are seemingly part of a push by Hinduthva (nationalist Hindu) organizations to use violence and oppression as a means of growing support for the BJP party in coming elections. After losing six seats in the recent election, many BJP supporters have called on the party to again focus solely on a Hinduthva agenda of anti-conversion and anti-Christian and Muslim violence.

Dr. D’Souza’s letter openly criticizes the Congress-rules government for not doing enough to protect Christian who supported the party in national elections. He writes:

“The fault indeed squarely lies with the Central Government which was voted to power by Dalits, minorities and the majority poor who hoped that the new UPA Government would at least insist upon the rule of the law and protect the minorities and Dalits. The lack of protection is all the more painful as the vast majority of Christian workers and communities in north India are Dalits, tribals or from the most backward castes. These are the communities which are bearing the brunt of the attacks.”

The full text of the letter is reprinted below.

Letter text:

Hon’ble Dr. Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India

PMO, South Block

Central Secretariat, New Delhi

And

Mrs. Sonia Gandhi

President, Indian National Congress / Chairperson, UPA

10, Janpath, New Delhi

May 14, 2007

Dear leaders of the Indian Nation:

You must have been busy in the elections in Uttar Pradesh, but surely you would have seen television images of large mobs brutalising Christian pastors in various parts of the country this last fortnight. I wonder if you noticed the glee with which people in Kolhapur, Maharashtra, smashed their fists into the stomach of a helpless Tamil pastor on May 8. Others in the same mob proudly told the camera they were from Hindutva groups even as they rained blows at the head of the second pastor. Did you notice Pastor Walter Masih in his small house in Jaipur, Rajasthan, being hit repeatedly by lathi-bearing youth as his wide-eyed daughter cowered behind a door on April 29? The child is still traumatised. As, indeed, is the Christian community in India.

These images should have seared the conscience of the nation, but they have invited nothing more than a smug silence from all governments—the Congress chief minister in Maharashtra to the BJP chief minister in Rajasthan. In Madhya Pradesh, the women raped for being Christians on May 28, 2006, have wept in silence, even the police and TV refusing to listen to them.

There is little doubt now that Hindutva extremists are running a series of planned attacks against the Christian community for over a year now.

The intensity of these attacks is increasing.

Their own leaders have encouraged them to further violence by word, statement and support. Sadly, there has been no voice in authority which would discourage them; much less to caution them of punishment under the law of the land.

The deafening silence of the UPA Government in New Delhi when anti-conversion laws were passed in Gujarat and Rajasthan, and more recently by the Congress run Government in Himachal Pradesh, has in fact served as a tonic to the killer gangs and their hate-mongering leaders.

These anti-conversion laws demonise the Christian community as much as Muslims are elsewhere identified as ‘anti-national’ in the Hindutva propaganda. The present violence against Christian community in general, and pastors and priests in particular, takes us back to the dark days of 1998-2000 of the mass violence against Gujarat Christians and the brutal Orissa murder of Graham Stuart Staines and his young sons Philip and Timothy.

There is not a day but my colleagues in the All India Christian Council report anti-Christian violence from Punjab, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Orissa, Karnataka and sadly, also from Andhra, Maharashtra and Himachal, the last three in control of the Congress. The most heinous of them all is sexual violence against Christian women, particularly in Orissa and Madhya Pradesh.

We fear this overwhelming cloud of hate and violence has in it the seeds of a much tragedy in the future. I hope and pray it will not lead to a massacre of my community possibly in some distant village area or in a Christian compound.

It is not enough for the Central Government to say that law and order is a State subject, while remaining a mute spectator of the violence against the micro minority Christian community. In all this violence, the community has never retaliated or taken recourse to any form of violence. There never has been a communal riot involving Christians anywhere in the country.

Chief Ministers of the concerned states, whatever be their political identity, cannot absolve themselves of responsibility in this tragic environment of hate and violence. The blame for the state of affairs lies squarely also on the Union Home Ministry in New Delhi which time and again has received complaints from bodies like the All India Christian Council and the All India Catholic Union.

What has the Union Home Ministry done about the violence against tribal Christians in Madhya Pradesh, in Chhattisgarh, in Rajasthan, and in Gujarat in the last six months? What has the Home Ministry done about the recent attack on Pastor Masih in Rajasthan or the workers in Kolhapur? What is it doing about the consistent attacks against the tribal Christians in Orissa?

The fault indeed squarely lies with the Central Government which was voted to power by Dalits, minorities and the majority poor who hoped that the new UPA Government would at least insist upon the rule of the law and protect the minorities and Dalits. The lack of protection is all the more painful as the vast majority of Christian workers and communities in north India are Dalits, tribals or from the most backward castes. These are the communities which are bearing the brunt of the attacks.

It is not too late. We feel the situation can be retrieved, the marauding mobs contained, and tragedy averted, if the Union government were to:

1. Repeal the anti-conversion law in Himachal Pradesh and Arunachal Pradesh just as Chief Minister Karunanidhi revoked the anti-conversion law in Tamil Nadu as these laws legitimise demonising of the Christian community.

2. Issue statutory notices to State Governments, and especially the Governments of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh to give protection to Christian places of worship and Christian priests.

3. Book the perpetrators of hate crimes and violence against the Christians under the Indian Penal Code and deal strictly with them.

We are proud of India’s democratic traditions, and the Freedom of Faith it has nurtured since Siddhartha became Gautama Buddha. Independent India has codified the same tradition in its Constitution.

It is not too much that we seek as Citizens of India. Let there be rule of law, and let the Constitution prevail in every state of the Country.

God bless you

Sd/-

Dr Joseph D’souza
President
All India Christian Council

For more information, contact:

Ben Marsh, Washington D.C. Coordinator, Dalit Freedom Network

(703) 974-1243

Posted on: May 14, 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

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.

Posted on: April 5, 2007

DFN Delegation to Visit Europe during Bicentenary of the Abolition of the Slave Trade

Press Release from the Dalit Freedom Network

Visit Coincides with Release of New Documentary on Dalits

Greenwood Village, CO – A delegation from the Dalit Freedom Network will travel throughout Europe during the commemorations of the bicentenary of the abolition of the slave trade in England. The delegation will participate in a historic hearing in Parliament in London and will visit Brussels and Norway during the three week tour. The trip coincides with the UK release of the film “Amazing Grace,” about the efforts by William Wilberforce to abolish slavery and with the premiere of a new documentary-film, entitled ‘India’s Hidden Slavery: Caste, Apartheid and Exploitation in the World’s Largest Democracy’, at the Vue West End Cinema, Leicester Square on Tuesday 27 March 2007.

The delegation includes Dr. Joseph D’Souza, International President of the Dalit Freedom Network; Indira Athwale, the Maharastra State President of the All India Confederation of Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribe Organizations; Dr. Kancha Ilaiah, Professor of Political Science and Head of Department at Osmania University, Hyderabad and an expert on caste issues in India; and Moses Parmar, the North India Director of Operation Mercy Charitable Company.

Though slavery has been abolished, Caste slavery is still alive and well in India,” said Dr. D’Souza. “We hope that the Wilberforce film and the new documentary will inspire a new generation of abolitionists to join us in fighting Caste and Untouchability. As Wilberforce himself said, ‘the institution of caste is a system at war with truth and nature.’

The trip follows the February passage by the European Union Parliament of a resolution dealing with Untouchability.

Dr. Ilaiah, Ms. Athwale, and Dr. D’Souza have previously testified before the United States Congress in October, 2005 as part of a hearing on Untouchability in the House Subcommittee on Human Rights.

Posted on: March 22, 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.

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.

For more information, contact:

Ben Marsh
Washington D.C. Coordinator
Dalit Freedom Network

Posted on: February 22, 2007

President of All India Christian Council writes to Smt. Sonia Gandhi

Press Release from the All-India Christian Council

January 15, 2007

Mrs. Sonia Gandhi
President
Congress Party
10 Janpath
New Delhi

Respected Madam,

Greetings from the All India Christian Council.

It was a surprise that the Himachal Pradesh Government passed an Anti-Conversion law in December last. Some time back we were assured by you that the Congress Govt is against such laws that roll India back by many years as these laws supress the very basic Human Rights of expression and the choice of Conscience. In today’s progressive days of India’s development and the country making many victories these laws portray us in poor light in the comity of nations.

As you are aware that Ms. Jayalalitha had to withdraw this law in Tamilnadu as she experienced a fierce opposition in her elections for this law from the Christians and the other minorities in Tamilnadu.

The case of Himachal Pradesh is pitiable as there are only 8,000 Christians and these laws will become a cause for Harassment of the minorities both Christians and Muslims as per the wishes of the law enforcing officers. We have seen this happening on a regulare basis in the states of Gujarat, Chattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.

As this is detrimental to our country’s development and positive image in the modern world, I request you to kindly arrange to quell this law both in Himachal Pradesh and in Arunachal Pradesh.

Thanking you for your kind attention to this matter.

Sincerely Yours,

Dr. Joseph D’ Souza

National President
All India Christian Council

C.c: The Hon’ble Prime Minister

Posted on: January 15, 2007

Christians from across the Nation will stage Dharna to demand SC Status

PRESS RELEASE New Delhi, November 28, 2006.

Christians from across the Nation will stage Dharna to demand SC Status for Dalit Christians. This will be also raised in Confederation Rally to be held on 3rd December,06

Dr. Joseph D’souza – President of All India Christian Council said in a press conference held at New Delhi that Dalits suffer injustice and oppression within Hindu religion and when they convert, they face double injustices. The upper caste Christians do not allow them to have equal access to the educations and other resources, which they have and on other hand the article 341 of Indian Constitution deprives them in getting the reservation. He said that there was no serious effort to collect data on the conditions of Dalit Christians and, in fact, the officials of Mishra Commission were least interested to marshal the available information of these people. The NGOs and other persons assigned to collect the data regarding socio and educational conditions of Dalit Christian were having no natural sympathy, prior linkages and experiences about them. One of the largest bodies of Christians – the All India Christian Council was not invited to know the truth about Dalit Christian. Perhaps, they feared that consultation with Christian Council will reveal true conditions of Dalit Christians.

Dr. Udit Raj, Chairman of All India Confederation of SC/ST Organisations and Indian Justice Party said that he supports Dalit Christians’ demand to be included in Presidential Order of 1950. According to this order, Dalits practicing the faith of Hinduism, Sikhism and Buddhism get the benefits of reservation but those following Islam and Christianity, are being barred from the benefits of the reservation. Dr. Raj challenged the incorrect and incomplete data collected by National Commission of Linguistic and Minority Religions on socio-economic and educational status of scheduled castes origins converted to Christianity.

On the basis of Rangnath Misra Commission’s report, the Supreme Court of India is likely to deliver the judgment in April 2007. He said that after converting to other religion, Dalits still suffer from socio-economic and educational stigma.

Dr. Udit Raj stated that the long outstanding demands of Dalit Christians will be pressed in the rally to be held on 3rd December, 06 at Ramlila Ground, New Delhi. This rally is being organized by All India Confederation of SC/ST Organisations to seek reservation in private sector, filling up the backlog posts and enactment of reservation law. Lacks of employees from all over the country are likely to grace the rally.

Mr. Madhu Chandra – Regional Secretary of All India Christian Council said that Christians from across the nation will assemble at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi on December 11, 2006 to stage a day long dharna to press for their demands. He appeals to Christian Community to join the dharna to demand the restoration of scheduled caste status to the Dalit Christians who still suffer socio-economic and educational backwardness even after their conversion.

Sd/-

M. D. Jose

Media Secretary (9869184939)

Posted on: December 1, 2006

Caste crimes mostly go unpunished

by Vineeta Pandey

NEW DELHI: Social justice may be the most forceful concept, but a harsh reality, totally on the contrary, stares India in the face. The crime against the Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) is steadily on the rise. Worse is the shamefully poor conviction rate: Despite committing heinous crimes against SCs/STs, almost 70 per cent offenders go scot free.

As per stats by the National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, the total number of cases of murder, rape, dacoity, kidnapping etc have gone up during the last one year, which indicated that implementation of the laws is not taking place.

A total of 5,713 cases of crime against the STs were reported in the country as compared to 5,535 in 2004, showing an increase of 3.2 per cent. The number of rape cases against STs in the country, have gone up from 566 in 2004 to 640 in 2005, while as many as 164 STs were murdered last year. There has been an increase in cases of murder, rape, kidnapping and dacoity against SCs too. The cases have shot up from 6197 to 6262 between 2004-05. Total 669 cases of murder were reported in the country last year compared to 654 in 2004, showing a 2.3 per cent increase. UP has accounted for about 50 per cent — 323 out of 669— of the total number of murders of SCs. Overall, MP reported the highest crime rate against SC followed by Rajasthan and AP.

According to the acting chairman of the National Commission for SCs, Fakirbhai Vaghela, the cases of atrocities against SC in UP have been mainly instigated by upper castes with the prime motive of grabbing their lands. Without directly blaming the UP Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav, he said that the crime has gone up drastically in the three last years hinting at Singh’s failure to control the situation.

Dalit activist Udit Raj has a different take: “The reason for increase in cases could also be that the Dalits have started registering complaints now.” He, however, felt that there are a lot of flaws in the implementation of laws for Dalits. “The authorities have been diluting the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocites) Act, 1989. When Mayawati was the CM of UP, she made this law applicable only in the cases of murder and rape thereby letting off offenders in other cases like dacoity, looting, kidnapping etc. Implementing authorities too are biased and insensitive. Police frames lenient charges while registering cases. There has not been a single death penalty so far for committing crime against SC/STs,” Raj added.

Cases of hurt and rape against SCs have been noted highest in MP with number of rape cases going up from 1,157 to 1,172. Gujarat, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh reported the highest number of dacoity crimes against SCs, while UP followed by Gujarat had high numbers of robberies reported. UP also recorded highest number of kidnapping and abduction – 99 out of 258.

The average conviction rate for crimes against SCs and ST stood at 29.8% and 24.5%, respectively. Last year, 46, 936 persons (82.4%) out of 57, 804 arrested for committing crimes against SCs could be charge-sheeted. Of the 44,842 persons against whom trials were completed, only 12,691 could be convicted. The situation is bad for the STs. 8,273 persons out of 9,870 arrested for crimes against STs could be chargesheeted while only 1,934 were convicted of the 7,981 persons against whom trials completed.

; on behalf of; Madhu Chandra [finicy@gmail.com]

Posted on: November 9, 2006

URGENT PRESS STATEMENT 11 OCTOBER 2006

Dalit aspirations, particularly of Christians of Scheduled Caste origin, trapped in cruel time web woven by Government, Mishra Commission and Apex Court

Statement issued on behalf of the All India Catholic Union, the All India Christian Council and the United Christian Action on Supreme Court adjournment of PIL hearing:

The aspirations, and the future, of tens of million’s of India’s Dalits, particularly those of the 16 million Christians of Scheduled Caste origin, have been cruelly trapped in an official time web woven by the Central Government and the Justice Ranganath Mishra Commission and played out before the Apex Court.

The Supreme Court of India today adjourned by a mammoth six months [till April 2007] hearings in the Public Interest Litigation demanding full civil rights and legal protection for all Dalits, irrespective of the relgion they profess. At present, under the obnoxious Presidential Order of 1950, these rights, including reservation in government employment and educational institutions, are given only to those Dalits professing the Hindu, Sikh and Buddhist religions. If Dalits convert to Christianity or Islam, these rights are snatched away from them. They lose their government jobs, places in political institutions and other benefits given under affirmative action programmes of the government.

As soon as the court of Chief Justice Sabbharwal took up the issue, which was the first item on the agenda, Additional Solicitor General Gopal Subramanian sought an adjournment saying that the Justice Mishra Commission, which was belatedly given the job of ascertaining if Dalit Christians deserved these rights, had sought an extension to submit its report, earlier due by the end of October 2006. It is understood that the Commission has sought six more months to file its report.

Public Interest Litigation Centre counsel Prashant Bhushan pleaded with the Apex Court to allow him to argue the matter without waiting for the Commission, whose report was extraneous to the issue. The Court however adjourned the matter till April next year [2007].

Since earlier this year, all hearings on the PIL have been adjourned waiting for the Misra Commission to submit its report.

Dalit groups, including those who have given evidence before the Mishra Commission and others who are also joint plaintiffs in the Supreme Court, have repeatedly cast doubts on the proceedings of the Mishra Commission and specially the role of its member secretary and retired IAS officer Ms Asha Das.

The Commission went out of its way to invite Hindutva groups and others opposed to Christians and Muslims to come and give evidence against the Dalits. At one time, police had to be called in at the Tata Institutive of Social Sciences in Mumbai when the Hindutva elements threatened the organizers. Christian social scientists and activists at the meeting questioned the adversarial and tainted proceedings which tended to coerce and victimize them.

Efforts are also apparently afoot to pit the recently bifurcated National Commission for Scheduled Castes against the Christians of Scheduled Caste origin.

The fact that the Central Government and its Ministry of Welfare seem involved in creating this nefarious time trap is most disturbing.

We urge Mrs. Sonia Gandhi, chairperson of the United Progressive Alliance which rules in New Delhi, and Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh to look into this matter and direct the Commission to submit its report on this issue without further loss of time. Such long delays can mean the death of the hopes of millions of young men and women for a bright future in a democratic India which runs on the rule of law.

Issued to the media by:

Dr. John Dayal

Member: National Integration Council

Government of India

National President: All India Catholic Union (Founded 1919)

Secretary General: All India Christian Council (Founded 1999)

President: United Christian Action, Delhi (Founded 1992)

Member, Justice and Peace Commission

Archdiocese of Delhi

505 Link, 18 IP Extension, Delhi 110092 India

Email:

Phone: 91-11-22722262 Mobile 09811021072

Posted on: October 12, 2006

Upcoming Rally to Raise Massive Cry for Freedom on October 14th

Press Release, Dalit Freedom Network DENVER – Sept. 27, 2006

A massive demonstration will be held in Nagpur in central India on October 14, 2006 to call for freedom of religious choice for all Indians and especially for India’s lowest castes. The rally, titled “World Freedom of Conscience and Freedom of Religion Day”, occurs exactly fifty years after Dr. B. R. Ambedkar left Hinduism and embraced Buddhism along with hundreds of thousands of his fellow Dalits (formerly known as untouchables). Ambedkar is a hero of the Dalits and framer of the Indian Constitution.

Over 100,000 Dalits are expected to attend along with Buddhist, Christian, Muslim, Sikh, and Hindu religious leaders from India and around the world. Confirmed international observers include legislators, human rights activists, and Bollywood artists.

The preceding day, on October 13, 2006, an invitation-only symposium will be held for key leaders involved in the rally. Hundreds of prominent activists from a variety of India’s religious and social communities as well as international participants will gather to discuss global efforts to emancipate Dalits.

The meetings are co-sponsored by the All India Confederation of Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes Organisations, led by Udit Raj, a renowned Dalit activist and politician, and the All India Christian Council, one of India’s largest ecumenical Christian coalitions.

In this week’s issue of Outlook, one of India’s most popular weekly magazines, Udit Raj stated in an opinion column that, “India is a secular country. Secularism simply means that the state shall not interfere in the personal and religious affairs of a person and religion would not be used as a political tool. …[Yet several states] have made laws which stipulate that whosoever wants to pursue a religious faith of his free choice shall have to get prior permission from the government. This means that the governments—and the Sangh Parivar at large—shall get prior information about anyone wanting to change their religion. As most of such people wanting to change their religious identity would be Dalits and people belonging to other weaker sections, is it very difficult to figure out what the Sangh and BJP in these states wish to do? They wish to be forewarned so that they are fully prepared to adopt all the means to prevent such conversions—through intimidation or by coercion.”

Joseph D’souza, International President, Dalit Freedom Network, and President, All India Christian Council, said, “We believe this peaceful rally will be the start of nationwide movement promoting the most basic human right – the freedom of conscience and the ability to choose one’s religion. The citizens of India will overturn these anti-conversion laws through an unrelenting campaign in the media, in the courts, and in civic life. India’s Dalits are taught by the Hindu caste system that their fight against injustice is contempt for the divine. I urge the global community to stand in solidarity with the Dalits as they seek liberation from caste-based discrimination and modern-day slavery.”

Anti-conversion laws have been passed under the guise of ‘freedom of religion bills’ in Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, and Rajasthan. The Tamil Nadu government is reportedly in the process of repealing their law.

The All India Confederation of SC/ST Organisations (www.scstconfederation.org), formed in 1997, exists to champion the intent and spirit of the Constitution of India towards scheduled castes and scheduled tribes. It actively pursues social justice and the benefits conferred on members by the Constitution.

The All India Christian Council (http://www.aiccindia.org), founded in 1999, exists to protect and serve the Christian community, minorities, and the oppressed castes. The aicc is a coalition of over 3000 Indian denominations, organizations, and lay leaders.

The Dalit Freedom Network (http://www.dalitnetwork.org) partners with the All India Confederation of SC/ST Organisations and the All India Christian Council to support Dalits in their emancipation movement through education, health care, economic advancement, and human right advocacy. Interviews with Indian leaders from the organizations above are available upon request through the DFN.

For more information, contact:

Benjamin Marsh
Washington Director

(703) 974-1243

For immediate release

Posted on: September 27, 2006

Protest against anti-reservation doctors

PRESS RELEASE

DEMONSTRATION IN FRONT OF AIIMS, NEW DELHI ON 25.9.2006 AT 11 AM IN PROTEST AGAINST BURNING OF AMMBEDKAR LITERATURE BY ANTI-RESERVATION AIIMS DOCTORS.

New Delhi, September 25,2006.`

A big demonstration was held in front of AIIMS, New Delhi , at 11AM on 25.9.06 by thousands of workers of the Indian Justice Party and All India Confederation of SC/ST Organisations led by Dr. Udit Raj, the President of the Party and Chairman of the Confederation against anti-reservation doctors of All India Institue of Medical Sciences who have burnt books and writings of Dr. Ambedkar which is the most sacrilegious act, to say the lest. Dr. Udit Raj said that the anti-reservation stir was started by a handful of AIIMS doctors under the overall guidance of the AIIMS Director.

The Progressive Medicos and Scientists Forum has said that Dalit medical students are being discriminated and ill-treated. Neither the AIIMS Administration nor the Central Government has taken any steps to stop the onslaught of discrimination and ill-treatment against Dalit medical students. A spokesman of the Progressive Medicos and Scientists Forum further stated that the upper caste hostel room partners are not allowing their Dalit first-year MBBS room-mates to sit close to them. If any Dalit student protests against this ill-treatment and discrimination, he is doubly punished by upper caste medical students in some other form. Nearly 35 Dalit first-year hostellers have complained to AIIMS Director, Dr. Venugopal against ill-treatment and discrimination by upper caste room-mates, but no action has been taken against the delinquent medical students belonging to upper caste so far.

Dr. Udit Raj declared that the AIIMS Director, Dr. Venugopal, despite clear evidence of his involvement in the anti-reservation demonstrations, Central Government has not taken any steps to remove him.

Sd/-

Mr. M. Chandra
National Secretary
Mob 9868184939

All India Confederation of SC/ST Organisations
B – 113, Sarvodaya Enclave, New Delhi – 110017 (INDIA)
Ph : 91-11-2696 0022 Telefax : 91-11-2653 4559 Mobile : 91-9312401477 , 91-9899382211
Email:

Posted on: September 25, 2006

Spokesperson of Nationalist Hindu Organization to Visit Washington, DC

Washington, DC – The National Spokesperson of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Ram Madhav, is set to visit the United States and attempt to meet with US lawmakers this coming Thursday and Friday, August 31-September 1. The RSS, the world’s largest non-communist social organization, is organized around the concept of Indian Hindu Nationalism and the exclusion of all religious minorities in Indian political and social life. The RSS advocates the use of violence against religious minorities, especially Christians, Muslims, and Sikhs, and has been the organizing force behind violent campaigns across India for the past five decades. RSS members and affiliated organizations planned and executed the 2002 massacre of thousands of Muslims in Gujarat. Recently the organization has renewed a push through its affiliated political party, the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP), to pass anti-conversion legislation targeting Christians and Muslims. The laws, which are already in place in six Indian states, severely restrict religious expression and legitimate violence against Muslims and Christians who share their faith. The RSS was banned in 1948 for its involvement in the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi but gradually regained power by advocating the use of violence against Muslims.

The Dalit Freedom Network calls on the State Department, the White House, and Congress to formally deny meeting with Mr. Madhav and thereby send a message that his organization’s activities are unacceptable in the eyes of the United States Government.

Press Release
Dalit Freedom Network, Denver, CO
August 29, 2006

Contact: Benjamin Marsh, Washington D.C. Coordinator, Dalit Freedom Network
Phone: 703-973-1243
E-mail:

Posted on: August 29, 2006

Government's half-hearted approach on implementation on reservation policy

Dr. Udit Raj, Chairman of SC/ST Confederation and President of Indian Justice Party has in a statement warned the Government of its half-hearted approach towards implementation of reservation policy. According to 93rd Constitution Amendment, 27% reservation for OBCs has to be implemented in Government and non-Government educational institutions. It seems that the Central Government is willing to introduce reservation policy only in Government-aided educational institutions for the present. In yesterday’s Cabinet decision, a resolution to implement reservation in Government educational institutions was passed. A Bill to this effect will be presented in the Parliament on 25.8.06.

Dr. Udit Raj urged the Government that instead of piece-meal implementation, 27% reservation for OBCs in IITs/IIMs and other institutions of higher learning should be implemented in one go. It is not understood why the Government is adopting dilly-dallying tactics in the implementation of 27% reservation in one go when the HRD Ministry has made it abundantly clear that paucity of funds will not be allowed to stand in the way of implementation. Dr. Udit Raj went one step further and said that if funds could be made available for other schemes based on actual requirements, the same should be done for reservation also.

According to Dr. Udit Raj, it is not difficult to raise a suitable infrastructure and other facilities if resources are there. In our medical colleges and other institutions of higher learning, weekly teaching hours, on an average, are from 8 to 10 hours, which is nothing short of criminal for a poor country like India where there is shortage of such institutions. If working hours of the professors are increased and two shifts are introduced in these institutions, reservation can be introduced in one go from this year itself. We always admire the educational system in America and Europe but easily forget that there the University classes start from 6 in the morning and if need be teaching is done in shifts. We can adopt a similar pattern in the early stages of reservation while at the same time, we should go on building suitable infrastructure.

In States like Kerala where reservation is already available in the non-Government educational institutions, the half-hearted approach adopted by the Govnment will adversely affect their prospects. It will be an easy ploy for them to take the plea that; there is no reservation in the private sector although a resolution to introduce a bill to this effect has already been passed but has been put in the cold storage.

Media Released by

Mr. M. Chandra
National Secretary
All India Confederation of SC/ST Organisations
New Delhi

Posted on: August 28, 2006

Reservation Day Declared and Celebrated

New Delhi: August 7, 2006.

In a jampacked Talkatora Stadium, on the occasion of Reservation Day, Dr. Udit Raj today stated that former Prime Minister Shri V. P. Singh could have been honored like this long before what we are doing today. He stated that forces of social justice and progressive leaders like V. P. Singh former Prime Minister of India, A. B. Bardhan of CPI, Raj Babbar – MP and founder leader of Jan Morcha, Dr. Joseph D’souza – President of All India Christian Council and many more have all come together to further the cause of social justice.

All India Confederation of SC/ST Organisations and Indian Justice Party to make this day that is August 7 of each year as ‘Reservation Day’, the day of social justice when poor, deprived farmers and exploited come together and discuss their wretched conditions and devise ways to improve their conditions. Despite bad health of Shri V. P. Singh, he remained a crusader for poor, SC/STs, OBCs and JJ clusters.

The President of Indian Justice Party, Dr. Udit Raj, stated today that the Veerapa Moily Committee should be rejected. The Oversight Committee headed by him has recommended implementing reservation to OBCs in phases. Unfortunately, there are contradictions in Congress itself in so far as implementation of 27% reservation is concerned. However, HRD Minister, Arjun Singh’s intention is clear that it should be implemented at one go. Dr. Udit Raj patted CPM, CPI and DMK for favoring the implementation of reservation at one go.

On 7th August, 1990, then Prime Minister, Shri V. P. Singh announced to implement the Mandal Commission Recommendations. The present reservation of 27 % is rooted in Mandal Commission. Dr. Udit Raj said that the Indian Justice Party will observe the Reservation Day on 7th August, every year. Former Prime Minister Shri V. P. Singh was honored on the occasion.

Dr. Joseph D’souza said in his speech, “Indian Dalits and Backward class communicates suffer social, political, economic injustice for centuries. They suffer injustice at the hands of Indian media power, Indian political power and those economic power holders. Only people who understand the plights of Indian Dalits and backward class communities can give justice to them.”

V. P. Singh in his concluding remark mentioned about Indian reservation system started way back with 3000 years old Hindu caste system. He says, “Designating education only to Brahmins, Ruling authority only to Kshetriyas, Trade only to Vaishyas, and labor only to Sudhras and Dalits.” Mr. Singh further said, “Injustice done to Indian Dalits and backward class communities are more a death penalties.”

People criticized V. P. Singh when he attempted to implement Reservation for backward class communities according to the recommendation of Mandal commission. Mr. Singh says, “Although my political leg was broken in 1990, the very ball I kicked scored the goal and the ball never came back and it is achieving its own goal.”

The All India Confederation of SC/ST Organizations is fighting for reservation in private Sector, which Manmohan Singh govt. had promised it in Common Minimum Program but still it has not been fulfilled. There are other urgent issues, which Confederation will continue raising like backlog in govt. services and bringing out of Reservation Act.

Posted by Madhu Chandra

Posted on: August 8, 2006

Mrs. Sonia Gandhi opposes Anti Conversion Bills

Press Statement

Dr. Joseph D’souza

President: All India Christian Council

Dr. John Dayal
Secretary General: All India Christian Council
Member: National Integration Council: GOI *

The Congress President, Mrs. Sonia Gandhi, has voiced her party’s strong opposition to the so called Freedom of Religion Bills, or Anti Conversion laws, being enacted by several BJP ruled States.

In a signed letter to Dr John Dayal, who had submitted her a memorandum signed by hundreds of Civil Society and religious leaders of all religions, Mr Gandhi said “The Congress Party’s views on this are well known. These are enactments passed by the State legislatures where the Congress is in Opposition. The Congress Party has opposed this strongly in the assembly and through demonstrations.”

The letter came even as several Christian leaders were on 4th August meeting the National Commission for Minorities to raise this and other issues. They called for a comprehensive White Paper on the social, economic and political situation of the Christian Minorities in India, as also an official statement from every State if there had been any forcible conversions, which was a canard spread by Hindutva and other fascist political groups. While NCM chairman Hamid Ansari and vice Chairman PM Pinto represented the Commission, the community was represented by Delhi Archbishop Vincent Concessao, Church of North India General Secretary Rev Enos Das Pradhan, All India Christian Council secretaries Rev Madhu Chandra, Albert Lael, Mr Sam Paul, Jose MD, Catholic Union president Dr John Dayal, Sr. Mary Scaria, NCCI representative Mr Philip Jhadav, Indian Social Institute director Dr Jimmy Dhabi, Rev Valson Thampu and several others.

The community leaders reminded the Commission “its first and main allegiance was to the Constitution of India and is obliged to monitor the Government of India and its policies and practices, as those of the State governments, to ensure that at no time do religious minorities feel they live in an unjust system, or that Government and its apparatus is deaf to their pain. We demand nothing more, and nothing less, than what is our right as Citizens of a free India.”

The harassment or erosion of rights of even the smallest and most vulnerable group is an erosion of the rights of the entire Minority community guaranteed under the Constitution. The Commission must therefore get through a White paper a comprehensive picture of the social, economic, religious and other problems faced by the Christian community in the country – everything from issues relating to Visas and FCRA, physical violence, and hate campaigns.

NCM Chairman Ansari said the Commission is of the view that the right to profess practice and propagate religion, guaranteed by Article 25 of the Constitution, is an essential ingredient of our country’s multi-religious edifice. It urges the State governments concerned to do nothing to water down this basic provision and resolve misgivings and misunderstandings through dialogue.

The 15-point `Charter of Requests’ to the Government of India through the National Commission for Minorities included

1. Implement Constitutional Provisions (Including freedom to Practice, Profess and Propagate Faith; and provisions of Articles 25 to 30). Reverse discriminatory laws such as the Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Orissa, MP, Chhatisgarh and Arunachal Freedom of Religion Acts.

2. Full Civil and Constitutional Rights to Dalit Christians. Take steps to encourage Political and Social uplift by correcting the aberrant policies that today injure the rights of Dalit Christians. This is not an issue of mere reservations in government jobs, but of equal opportunity in all spheres of political and economic activity.

3. Reassure Minorities on the Rule of Law by curbing Communalism, prosecuting hate crimes and those guilty of violence such as the Sangh Parivar and other elements. State and Central Governments, District administrations and Police must take suo motu notice of such hate campaigns, which lead to violence eventually. FIRs must be statutorily registered in cases of anti-Christian violence and harassment.

4. Issue a White paper on the condition of Christians in India, including the matter of so called forced conversions. Set up an economic and quality of life enquiry commission on the pattern of the Justice Rajendra Sachchar Commission for Muslims, to assess the poverty and disempowerment of poor Christians and specially Dalit and OBC MBC Christians.

5. Implement PM’s 15 Point Programme 1983, and Dr Manmohan Singh’s revised programme 2006, in full. Monitor devolution of funds meant for minorities in the budgets of various Ministries so that Christians – particularly OBC MBC get their share.

6. Evolve Economic programmes and credit and financial systems to spark entrepreneurial activity in the community, generate self employment

7. Special income generation and housing schemes for minorities in rural areas – farmers, landless peasantry, agriculture labour and traditional craftsmen

8. Expanding and monitoring of National Minorities Development Finance Corporation

9. Honest implementation of Article 30 specially to encourage educational institutions in sunrise areas, such as medical engineering, Information technology and management and engineering colleges. Gujarat and some other States must immediately stop curbing the freedom of Christian schools in appointing Principals, Head-mistresses and Managers in place of retiring Nuns.

10. Ensure adequate and compensatory representation of Christians in particular in Civil, Military, Administrative and Judicial services. The entire state of J&K has just one Gazetted Officer, a Policeman who is transferred all too frequently

11. The harassment in VISA provisions and the bigotry in FCRA and administration must end. Government must ensure that foreign-born wives of Indian religious workers, including protestant Pastors, and their children are allowed entry into the country on spouse visa as is case for other citizens.

12. Check constitutionality of some laws that seem to bar Christians from some areas, such as in Andhra. Also laws that allow religious books of some religions being sold at Rail Stations but bars Bible’s presence on stations.

13. End victimization of certain categories of Converts to Christianity. This includes the Catholics of Kashmir Pundit origin who has been victims both of terrorism and of State apathy and vicissitude. These refugees are not on the horizon of State concern at all.

14. Consult the Christian community in the formulation of the Five Year Plans and the Plans of HRD and other ministries

15. And finally, urgently bring forward laws on Adoption and Christian marriages which have been in cold storage for many years.

Released for Publication in the Media By Mr. Madhu Chandra – 9868184939

Posted on: August 4, 2006

Letter to National Commission for Minorities on Tirupati Issue

6 July 2006

To
Jenab Mohammad Hamid Ansari
Chairman
National Commission for Minorities
Lok Nayak Bhawan,
New Delhi 11003

Re:

1. Harassment of Nuns and Christian workers at Bus Stops, Rail Station in Tirupati government-owned areas

2. Request to have the Constitutionality of the Seven Tirumala Hills reportedly being out of bounds to Christians

3. Ending hate campaign against Christians in Andhra Pradesh

Copies to

1.Union Ministers of Minority Affairs, Law, Home affairs and Social [Women] Welfare

2.Mr. M P Pinto, Member, NCM

Dear Ansari Saheb

Greetings

I am glad the Commission has been given its full complement of Members at last, including a member to represent our community, the Christians.

I am making this formal complaint to you regarding a sustained hate campaign by the religious fanatics of the so-called Sangh Parivar in Andhra Pradesh, directed as much against the Church as against certain local politicians who may profess the Christian faith, and in particular Chief Minister Rajshekhar Reddy.

While I am sure the Mr. Reddy can take adequate care of himself and counter the campaign – carried out in the media as also on the grassroots level – helpless Christian workers, ordinary people, cannot. Nuns and Pastors have particularly been victimized and targeted. There have been several incidents in the state in the last six months.

The worst scenario is in the area of the Tirumala hills in Andhra. To the best of our knowledge, the TTD temple owns 10.33 sq. miles of land on two hills. This land is in the control of, and is administered, by the mandir trust, or Devasom Board.

We have absolute respect for the sense of reverence of our fellow citizens of all faiths. No Christian has ever been known to have, knowingly or unwittingly, desecrated any holy place of any religion anywhere in India. Nor have we demolished any place of worship. We instinctively obey, in a sense of the honouring the Holy, exclusivity that may occur or be enforced by certain sects for their places of worship which are barred to others. There are, also, well accepted laws and regulations on setting up religious institutions and places of worship separated by regulated and notified distances so as to maintain communal amity [with the exception of some historical places where, for instance, a mosque or temple may adjoin each other.]

There cannot, of course, be any question of public places, such as Bus stops, Railway stations, and in fact inside buses, being barred to Indian citizens of any and all faiths.

And yet, goons of the Sangh Parivar have taken upon themselves to be the local religious police – in connivance with some ranks of the Andhra State police, to harass Christian workers in the guise of stopping their missionary activities or `conversions.’

Serious questions remain. Are we also barred from schools and hospitals in civil and government urban and rural areas in any part of our motherland because that region is deemed to be holy by one sect or religion and is administered by a charitable religious board. Christians, and their places of worship, exist in such holy cities as Panipat, Kurukshetra, Amritsar, Ajmer and another place you would care to name. There never has been trouble or harassment.

This is to request you to have the NCM, or the Union Law Ministry, or the Law Commission, examine the Constitutionality of laws or local regulations that bar any citizen’s movement, profession and charity and social work in such areas.

The Catholic Nuns who were attacked, detained illegally by the police and later let off, were on a humanitarian task which is their charisma as Sisters of Charity, the Order founded by Nobel Laureate, the Blessed Mother Teresa. The Nuns have been doing their charitable work in SVRR hospital, Tirupati since 1986.

As by now you know [and I am attaching herewith several news reports of the incident], on 25 June 2006, four Sisters had been to Ruyya hospital at Tirupati to distribute some fruits and to pray the sick people. On 27 June 2006, as usual the Nuns – Sr. Maria Julia, Sr. Chriselda, Sr.Emma Felesia and Sr. Reena Francis – went to SVRR Hospital at 5.30 pm to visit poor patients. Two of the Sisters went to the orthopaedic ward, interacted and consoled a boy of 14 years who had met with an accident. Then they moved to another patient.

In the meantime a man enquired about their intention of visiting the patients. While the Sisters were answering, suddenly a crowd of around 40 people came with a video camera and press reporters. They started accusing the Nuns of evangelising and converting patients to Christianity. The Nuns were taken to the main building where a huge crowd gathered around them. They shouted slogans against the Nuns and the Christian religion. The Nuns were allowed neither to leave the hospital premises nor to contact their superiors. Their bags were opened and checked for any pamphlets and other material related to evangelisation. But they could not find any such material, except a prayer book.

The Nuns have the documents including commendations by the Superintendent and other authorities of the hospital to take care of patients, particularly abandoned children and patients of terminal cases (AIDS). This only shows that there has been good rapport between the hospital authorities and the Nuns for the past 20 years. The Police arrived at 8 pm and took them to Alipiri police station by an auto and retained them till 10 pm.

The detention of the Nuns in the police station after the dusk is a violation of human rights. By this action the police have flouted the Supreme Court directives that women should not be taken into custody between sunset and sunrise.

The Nuns are on record to say they have forgiven the culprits.

India prides itself on its rule of law. Surely the law must prevail even in these cases.

I am sure you, and other departments of the Government of India, will look into this incident and it ramifications for the health of secularism in our country.

With warm personal regards

Sd/-
Dr. John Dayal
Secretary General

Sd/-
Dr. Joseph D’souza
National President

Sd/-
Rev. G.Samuel
President – AndhraPradesh

Media Release by Mr. M. Madhu Chandra, PRO – All India Christian Council, New Delhi 9868184939

Posted on: July 7, 2006

DFN President Speaks at First Religious Freedom Day on the Hill

The Dalit Freedom Network’s International President, Joseph D’souza, spoke yesterday at the first Religious Freedom Day on the Hill. The event was hosted by Senator Rick Santorum, Chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, and included speeches from House Majority Whip Roy Blunt, Senator Norm Coleman, Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom John Hanford, Representative Todd Akin, Representative Trent Franks, Senator Sam Brownback, and Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton. Held in the Dirksen Senate Office Building, the event was attended by more than a hundred notable international human rights advocates, religious leaders, Members of Congress, and Congressional staff.

Dr. D’souza spoke on a panel moderated by Nina Shea, Vice-Chair of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom, entitled “A Look Around the World.” In his speech, he outlined the challenges facing minority religions in India in the light of rising Hindu extremism. Highlighting the link between caste oppression and religious violence, he challenged the global community to investigate ongoing caste abuse and to protest the rise in anti-conversion legislation targeting minorities and low-caste people.

In addition to Dr. D’souza’s discussion about India, a few other notable speakers, including Dr. Paul Marshall, Senior Fellow at Freedom House’s Center for Religious Freedom, expressed concern about the rise in anti-Christian and anti-Muslim legislation passed in several Indian states. Dr. Marshall highlighted the inherent contradictions in such legislation as they go against international law in India’s constitution.

Click here to go to Dr. Joseph D’souza’s bio

by Ben Marsh, Washington D.C. Co-ordinator, Dalit Freedom Network

Posted on: June 21, 2006

URGENT REQUEST ON BEHALF OF INDIA'S CHRISTIANS OF DALIT, OR SCHEDULED CASTE ORIGIN

The Supreme Court of India, once it convenes in July 2006 after its summer vacations, is expected to take up hearings on the writ petition seeking full SC rights for all Dalits irrespective of religion.

The government has asked the National Commission on Religious and Linguistic Minorities, otherwise called the Justice Rangnath Misra Commission, to look into the demand and give its opinion.

This opinion will be presented before the Supreme Court.

The Misra Commission has asked the Tata Consultancy to organize seminars on the subject. It has also asked the public to give its suggestions in the next few weeks. Earlier it held public meetings in many cities in various parts of the countries.

Major Christian groups have already given one round of testimony. Apparently that has not satisfied someone in the Commission.

This is perhaps because the RSS and its more than 100 daughter organisations have launched a massive counter campaign against Christians in general and Christians of Dalit origin in particular and are flooding the offices of the Misra Commission with their poisonous hate mail.

This is to request you, therefore, to kindly send your letters and documents to the Justice Misra Commission in support of the demand of Christians of Dalit origin, to get this marginalized group its fundamental rights so brutally snatched from it by the Presidential Order 1950.

The Commission’s Email Id is:

The postal address is: Member Secretary, NCRLM, Gate 30, II Floor, Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium New Delhi 110003

The Chairman’s postal address is: 31, Aurangazeb Road New Delhi 110001.

The address of the Member secretary (a retired IAS officer of the rank of secretary to the Government of India) is: Mrs. Asha Das, D-297, Sarvodaya Enclave, G/F, New Delhi.

The Email Id of member secretary is

We sincerely thank you for your interest and assistance!
Mobilize as many letters and emails as you can
in the next couple of weeks, this is urgent!

by John Dayal

Click here to go to John Dayal’s bio

Sample letter to Justice Shri Ranganath Misra Commission

Date:

Justice Shri Ranganath Misra
Chairman
National Commission for Religious & Linguistic Minorities
Gate No 30, II Floor, Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium
Lodi Road, New Delhi – 110 003

Sir,

Subject: Extension of Reservations to Dalit Christians.

We are glad that the Commission headed by you has been requested to examine the justification for specification of Dalit Christians as Scheduled Castes for the purpose of reservation. Kindly permit us to submit the following for your kind consideration.

In spite of various efforts made by the governments, caste discrimination and untouchability remain a major social concern specific to Indian Society.

Although they are Christians, the Christians of Scheduled Castes Origin live and work along with Hindu Dalits. The stigma of untouchability and social ostracism haunt them wherever they go and whatever they do.

Just because of being Christians, they are not spared from communal violence and abuse by upper and dominant caste communities. Nor are they treated equally by the upper caste Christians.

That they continue to suffer from the same socio economic disabilities and that the change of religion does not alter their socio-economic status have been established by various commissions appointed by the governments from time to time and also by the many rulings by the Supreme Court.

Moreover the discrimination against Dalit Christians based on the third para of the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order 1950 goes against many articles of the Constitution of India. It is discrimination on the basis of religion and it is sad to note that the violation is done by the State itself (Article 15)

It also goes against Freedom of Religion (Article 25). The Order forces the Dalits to remain in a particular religion, allured by the socio economic privileges and fear of losing the same if they dare to choose a religion of their choice.

The Dalit Christians, though they are Dalits, are deprived and denied of civil and legal safeguards and protection that are provided for Hindu Dalits under the Protection of Civil Rights Act 1976, Untouchability (Offences) Act 1955 and SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act 1989. Thus they stand vulnerable to the abuses and attacks of the dominant castes, without any possibility of legal redressal as Dalits.

Besides, the Government has already amended the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order) 1950 twice: First in 1956 to include Dalit Sikhs and next in 1990 to include Dalit Buddhists in the Scheduled Castes.

The Government has already considered the demand of the Dalit Christians and prepared the draft amendment bill in 1996. The Statement of Objects and Reasons of Bill NO17 of 1996 says: “Converts to the Christian religion, who are of the Scheduled Castes origin, are precluded from the statutory benefits and safeguards accruing to members of the Scheduled Castes. Demands have been made from time to time for extending these benefits and safeguards to the Christians of the Scheduled Castes origin by granting them recognition as the Scheduled Castes on the ground that the change of religion has not altered their social and economic conditions. Upon due consideration of these demands, it is proposed to amend the relevant Constitution (Scheduled Cates) Orders to include the Christian converts from the Scheduled Castes as the Scheduled Castes therein, hence the Bill.”

It is clear from the above statement that the government is asserting that the ‘change of religion has not altered social and economic conditions’ and that it has ‘duly considered the demand and proposed to amend the Order’ and the statement holds good even now when caste violence is so open and the number is on the increase. Hence we request you to kindly recommend to the Government to include the Christians of Scheduled Caste Origin in the Scheduled Castes and provide them the same status as their counterparts in Hinduism, Sikhism and Buddhism.

Thanking you,

Yours Sincerely,

Name, Address and phone number

Posted on: June 19, 2006

Manipur State Unit of All India Confederation of SC/ST Organizations formed

All India Confederation of SC/ST Organizations
85, Pocket 6, Sector 12, Dwarka, New Delhi 110 075, Tel. 09868184939
Dr. Udit Raj – National President
Mr. M. Madhu Chandra – Human Rights Coordinator

Imphal: June 15, 2006
Manipur state unit of All India Confederation of SC/ST Organizations is formed at the closing session of One Day State Level Consultation on Current Affairs related to SC/ST and OBC Reservation held at Yambem Mani Sahitya Bhavan, Kakching on June 14, 2006. Dilip Kshetriya and Y. Premchand were selected anonymously as State President and State Vice-President along with nine other executive members representing different communities of state.

One day state level consultation was presided over by Shri Naorem Kalimohon – former Block Development Officer and Public leaders while M. Madhu Chandra – Human Rights Coordinator of All India Confederation of SC/ST Organizations base at New Delhi spoke on current issues of Union HRD Minister – Arjun Singh’s proposal of 27% OBC Quota in Central Professional Institutions and its relation to the prevailing SC/ST Reservation.

Union HRD Minister’s proposal and decision of UPA Government of 27% OBC Quota in Higher Professional Institutions will highly benefit majority of Meitei Communities in Manipur who fall under OBC categories. Why the public of Manipur particularly Public leaders kept silent spectator to such future promising proposal? Madhu Chandra asks.

Mr. Madhu Chandra said further that 27% OBC Quota will give bright prospective for OBC communities of Manipur in higher professional studies. Presently Scheduled Caste communities of Manipur enjoy 15% and 7.5% by Scheduled tribe in central employment and educational studies. However the UPA governments 27% OBC quota will give 27% to OBC communities of Manipur in Higher Professional Studies, which is much higher percentage comparing to the SC/ST communities of Manipur are enjoying presently.

The Anti Quota movement led by Medicos, IIT and IIM students back up by upper caste communities have questioned the validity of Reservation in 21st Century. SC/ST communities in India could come up in education and economic through reservation provision available in Indian Constitution but it has become a threat when upper caste communities question its validity and mushrooming of private sectors.
Shri Naorem Kalimohon, in his concluding remark, appealed to whole public of Manipur that the reservation is a much needed mechanism for weaker section of the society, therefore UPA Government’s proposal of 27% OBC reservation should be welcomed by whole state as it will benefit majority of Manipur who fall under OBC categories.

Shri Kalimohon has also appealed to all Schedule Caste communities (Lois) of Manipur to stand united and fight the forces fighting to cease the reservation in employment and education. He further says, instead of fighting within ourselves, it will be better to fight the constitutional right of SC/ST which upper caste communities of the country are trying to take away.
The state Unit of All India Confederation of SC/ST Organizations will join hands with National Head office of the Confederation to tackle any issues related to the welfare of SC/ST and OBC communities in the state.

Press Release by Mr. Dilip Kshetriya, State President, All India Confederation of SC/ST Organization, Manipur

Posted on: June 15, 2006

Rajasthan Governor Rejects Anti-Conversion Legislation

DFN Urges Rajasthan Parliament to Withdraw Unconstitutional Legislation

The Governor of the state of Rajasthan in India today rejected legislation that would limit the right of religious minorities to practice their faith. The bill, ironically titled “Freedom of Religion,” would impose heavy fines on anyone caught proselytizing and would limit relief and humanitarian aide done by religious minorities, including Christians and Muslims.

The Governor’s move comes after protests by the All India Christian Council, the All India Catholic Union, the Dalit Freedom Network, and several other national and international religious and non-profit organizations who protested the legislation from its inception in the BJP-led state parliament. Joseph D’souza, president of the Dalit Freedom Network, hailed the governor’s move: “We are pleased that the governor stopped this legislation before it led to increased persecution against minority religions, especially Christianity. I hope and pray that he will not cave to pressure from the parliament and will stand by his decision.”

Several members of the parliament protested the move, claiming that the governor is legally bound to sign legislation passed by parliament.

Benjamin Marsh
Washington, DC Coordinator
Dalit Freedom Network
(703) 973-1243

**Please note: DFN partners only with All India Christian Council (AICC) members who are actively involved in the transformation and emancipation of the Dalit-Bahujan people, not with the AICC as a whole.

Posted on: May 19, 2006

All India Christian Council supports Pro Reservation Front

New Delhi: May 11, 2006 (aicc)

All India Christian Council represented by Dr. John Dayal, Jose MD and Madhu Chandra extends supportive hands to Pro Reservation Front – a united front of different SC/ST and OBC national bodies constituted under the leadership of Dr. Udit Raj, President of Indian Justice Party and All India Confederation of SC/ST Organizations.

A biggest pro reservation rally was organized at Jantra Mantra, New Delhi on May 11, 2006 under the banner of PRO RESERVATION FRONT to pressurize UPA government to ensure 27% Quota for OBC in higher central profession institutions which Human Resource Development minister – Mr. Arjun Singh proposed. Mr. Singh’s proposal was attacked from left and right from upper caste Medico and IIT students accusing Mr. Singh not to divide Indian youths and the merit of Indian higher educational system will down fall if under privilege backward students are allowed to study along with them. (Right Picture: aicc in Pro Reservation Rally, New Delhi)

Pro Reservation Front also challenged those Medico and ITT students to stop their agitation immediately who are opposing to Mr. Singh’s proposal of quota to uplift the backward communities of India . Dr. Udit Raj along Dalit and OBC leaders condemn Knowledge Commission headed by Sam Pitroda for Commission ruling out 27% OBC quota and Medico students Anti Reservation protest. Dr. Raj informed to Medias that this rally is just beginning. A nationwide campaigning will be called if UPA government fails to fulfill its commitment and medico students continue anti reservation protest.

The worrisome of Knowledge Commission headed by Mr. Pitroda and alike Medico and IIT students on fear down fall of Indian educational merit if admitted OBC students can be interpreted differently. It is just the opposite. Sharing 27% seats in higher professional studies for OBC students could mean empowment of OBC communities through higher education will empower OBC communities and they could one day become like any of the upper caste communities. This will limit upper caste’s manipulation and dominal on Indian politics, economics, education, society and even religious practices, which has been at the hands of upper caste for over 3000 years. (Left Picture: Udit interview by media, New Delhi)

The students of medico and IIT agitation are well motivated to cut short the knowledge bank treasured in Indian higher educational institutions from the reach of Indian Dalits and backward communities. The knowledge bank of Indian Higher educational institutions has been at the hands of micro ruler upper caste communities in whole of Indian history. Mr. Arjun Singh’s proposal of 27% quota for OBC has been considered a great threat to micro ruler upper caste.

Dr. Raj assured that Indian higher educational merit will never come down by allotting reservation for Dalits and weaker section of the society. Howard University is the living example for its International standard, where the standard and merit never came down even after quota for minority and weaker section of American societies are provided.

Pro Reservation Front is consisted of SC, ST, OBC and Minority bodies headed Dr. Udit Raj – President of Indian Justice Party and All India Confederation of SC/S Organizations, Satya Prakash – President and K. C. Yadav of Yadav Mahasabha, Kesari Singh Gurjar – President of Kisan Manch, Dr. John Dayal – General Secretary, Jose MD – PRO and Madhu Chandra of All India Christian Council, Sr Mary Scaria – Secretary of the Catholic Church Justice Commission, Babu Singh – President of Dehat Morcha, Rakesh Rafique – President of Yua Bharat, Pro. P.C. Patanjali – President of Backward Claseses Vikas Manch, J. C. Gola – President of Prajapati Mahasabha, Kanwar Pal – President of Haryana Dalit Backward Mahasangh, Lalji Chaurasia – President of Chaurasia Samaj, Ram Sharan Bhati – President of Gurjar Mahasabha, Vasudeo Yadav – President of OBC Railway Employees Federation and V. P. Nagar – President of A. I. Backward Classes Confederation. (Right Picture: Dr. John Dayal and Sr. Mary Scaria addressing in Pro Reservation Rally, New Delhi)

All India Christian Council has affirmed to the leaders of Pro Reservation Front to extend full cooperation and support to ensure the reservation for OBC in higher professional studies is provided.

Sd/-

Jose MD – PRO – All India Christian Council
Dr. John Dayal – General Secretary, All India Christian Council & Member – National Integration Council

Mr. Madhu Chandra – Human Rights Activist, All India Christian Council
**Please note: DFN partners only with All India Christian Council (AICC) members who are actively involved in the transformation and emancipation of the Dalit-Bahujan people, not with the AICC as a whole.

Posted on: May 11, 2006

Supreme Court Case Enters Final Stages Of Verdict on April 5th

By Dr. Joseph D’souza, International President, Dalit Freedom Network
Special to ASSIST News Service

DENVER, CO (ANS)—On the 5th of April the Supreme Court of India will see three former Law Ministers of India argue it out on the issue of giving affirmative action benefits to Dalit Christians who have been discriminated against for the last 50 years.

Previous Law Ministers Shanti Bhusan and Ram Jethmalani will argue that the Constitution forbids discrimination on the basis of religion and the fact that Dalits have turned to Christianity cannot be used as the basis of denial of affirmative action benefits. Former law Minister of the BJP, Mr. Arun Jaitley has been deputed by the Hindu nationalist RSS to argue against giving Christian Dalits the same rights as given to Sikh, Buddhist and Hindu Dalits.

The Central Government is also supposed to submit the report of its recent Commission which was mandated to look at the plight of Dalit Christians. Dalit Christian leaders in different parts of India have complained that a fair hearing was not given to their case when members of the Commission visited some of the States.

According to inside sources the report of the Government Commission is not likely to be in favor of Christian Dalit getting their due rights under the Constitution. There is wide spread anger among Dalit Christians against the ruling Congress Party and it’s dilly-dallying on this issue when all other parties except the BJP have come out in open support of affirmative benefits to be given to Dalit Christians.

The Supreme Court is unlikely to continue giving extensions to the Government to file its response.

The All India Christian Christian Council has issued a global call to prayer for this issue as it now enters the final stages.

For more information on the plight of the Dalits of India, go to http://www.dalitnetwork.org.

ASSIST News Service (ANS) – PO Box 609, Lake Forest, CA 92609-0609 USA
Visit our web site at: http://www.assistnews.net – E-mail:

**Please note: DFN partners only with All India Christian Council (AICC) members who are actively involved in the transformation and emancipation of the Dalit-Bahujan people, not with the AICC as a whole.

Posted on: March 31, 2006

Dalit Freedom Network: Abolish Caste, Now and Forever!

Press Releases

UN Investigator Upholds Civil Rights for Dalits of All Faiths

India's Anti-Christian Violence Unparalleled Among World Democracies

India's Civil Society Defends Christians in New Delhi Rally

India"s Civil Society Defends Christians in New Delhi Rally

United States Legislators Concerned about Violence Targeting Christians in Orissa

Citizen's Delegation meets President of India; Demands Central Government Action on Orissa

Even in flood, India's `untouchables' last rescued

Massive rally in India's capitol and nation-wide closure of Christian schools

Unprecedented Anti-Christian Violence Spirals Out of Control in India

Tragic & Widespread Anti-Christian Violence in Eastern India

Spring 08 Newsletter

Dalit beaten by upper caste villagers for smoking

Dalit Advocates Caedmon's Call to play at CBC

Speakers at Historic Rally Demand Orissa Government Tell Truth about Christmas Attacks on Christians

Facts Emerge on Christmas Violence in Orissa: 730 Homes, 95 Churches Destroyed, 4 Dead, More Missing

Fact Finding Report by aicc Orissa Chapter

Black Christmas

Suffering of Orissa's Christians Presented to National Human Rights Commission of India

Fact Finding Teams Tell of Unprecedented Anti-Christian Violence in Orissa

All India Christian Council appeals attack on Christians in Orissa

DFN Social Justice Updates

Over 10,000 Dalits Demand Reservations in the Private Sector, Judiciary, and Armed Forces

Not Quite Like Us

National Association of Evangelicals Puts Forth a Statement of Conscience Concerning the Dalits

Nick News with Linda Ellerbee and DFN'S Kumar Swamy Travels to India

Wall Street Journal - Dalit Converts face Discrimination

Indian Justice Party Workers Arrested from a Protest Rally against Supreme Court's Stay Order on OBC

All India Christian Council (aicc) disappointed at the delay in granting equal rights to Dalits.

US House of Representatives Passes Historic Resolution on Untouchability

Supreme Court Decision on July 19 for India's Dalit Christians

DFN Partner Announces Law and Policy Database

Caste apartheid in India - Ahmedabad is witnessing ''only-Dalit'' residential societies

Thousands of Christians "Arrested" in Peaceful Protest Against Growing Anti-Christian Violence

Panel Tells India's Government a Dalit's Faith Should Not Affect Assistance

Priest shot and injured seriously in New Delhi

Indian News Captures Violent Attacks on Christians

Dalit Woman Emerges Electoral Winner in India's Largest State

UK Parliament Debates Caste in Westminster Hall

Congressman Trent Franks Introduces Resolution on Untouchability

Supreme Court Again Postpones Decision on Extending Government Benefits to Christians

DFN Delegation to Visit Europe during Bicentenary of the Abolition of the Slave Trade

Christians and Dalits Mount Legal Challenge to Himachal Pradesh Anti Conversion Law

Himachal Pradesh Governor Signs Anti-Conversion Legislation. DFN condemns draconian legislation

President of All India Christian Council writes to Smt. Sonia Gandhi

Christians from across the Nation will stage Dharna to demand SC Status

Caste crimes mostly go unpunished

URGENT PRESS STATEMENT 11 OCTOBER 2006

Upcoming Rally to Raise Massive Cry for Freedom on October 14th

Protest against anti-reservation doctors

Spokesperson of Nationalist Hindu Organization to Visit Washington, DC

Government's half-hearted approach on implementation on reservation policy

Reservation Day Declared and Celebrated

Mrs. Sonia Gandhi opposes Anti Conversion Bills

Press Statement

Letter to National Commission for Minorities on Tirupati Issue

DFN President Speaks at First Religious Freedom Day on the Hill

URGENT REQUEST ON BEHALF OF INDIA'S CHRISTIANS OF DALIT, OR SCHEDULED CASTE ORIGIN

Manipur State Unit of All India Confederation of SC/ST Organizations formed

Rajasthan Governor Rejects Anti-Conversion Legislation

DFN Urges Rajasthan Parliament to Withdraw Unconstitutional Legislation

All India Christian Council supports Pro Reservation Front

Supreme Court Case Enters Final Stages Of Verdict on April 5th