Hi,
I read a tabloid here called South Asia's voice - by some Dalit Christian group near my residence in Maryland - which had a full page appeal from John Dayal - the President of All India Christian Council - for Indian PM - Man Mohan Singh on his impending visit to Washington - to include Dalit Christians as well - for job quotas in India's govt jobs. Most Indian states have already included muslims, sikhs, buddhists (but not Parsees or Jains) as Dalits eligible for quota. Prima Facie -- only Hindus have caste system - which is crumbling -- so only Hindu dalits should be allowed to get the benefit of job quotas.
However, since all other communtities have been allowed such quotas (including Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh etc) why not extend it to Christian Dalits too. I have not seen any improvement in the lot of Dalit muslims after they were included in the quotas in Rajasthan. Non Dalit muslims do not marry with these people either.
Hopefully, Christian community would be able to provide better resources to Dalit Christians (who constitute more than 80 % of entire Indian Christain population - but have only 3% priests from among them.)
If other religious groups feel that it would encourage Hindu Dalits or Muslim Dalits or Dalits of other communitities to convert to Christianity -- they should improve the lot of Dalits in their own communities - rather than blaming Christain evangelists.
It may be noted that - as per an artcile I read yesterday in a magazine in World Bank's Info SHop - that from 1965 to 1980 -- the Christian population in Africa doubled (from initial 75 million) -- and has more than doubled since then. In 1900 there were only 4 million Christians in Africa only. The argument was that despite claims that with end of colonial rule Christianity was expected to die down -- but has grown from strength to strength -- locals have taken over -- providing better access to education, health etc to those locals who become Christians.
So this should be a starting point for various religious groups to improve the efforts for development of their own deprived communities rather than blaming Christians for conversions - and thus excluding them from job quotas.
Incidently, I was not surprised to see that ALL the publications in the WOrld Bank's Info Shop were products of Western Universities etc. None from Delhi Univ or Beijing or Johhanesberg Univs - West has become developed - and rest of the world is still developing. West can explore their own experiences to provide ways for the developing world to improve.
However, developing world needs to develop their own experiences of positive development. Since the developed world is mostly Christian -- it is not surprising that development efforts by Christian communitites in Asia or Africa have had much more positive results (no miracle of Jesus needed there!!) among oppressed communities - like Indian Dalits or tribals -- compared to those of other religious groups - since they have the benefit of the exprience of fellow Christians in the developed West.
Thus, Non-Christian religious groups around the world need to exponentially improve their understanding of the process and strategies of development - if they are to match the pace of development of Christian Dalits or tribals etc. In an era of aggressive Christianization in the world - leading to discord around the world - and terrorism -- skills in development issues are critical.
Any comments.
Umesh
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National Public Hearing on Rights of Dalit Christians
www.newkerala.com
MADURAI, INDIA, July 18, 2005: The first-ever public hearing on the plight of the struggle of Dalit Christians for equal rights today concluded that the community should be extended the same opportunities, facilities and benefits provided for its Hindu counterparts. (HPI adds: Dalit Christians are those of the Dalit or "Untouchable" caste of Hinduism who converted to Christianity, but were still regarded as "Untouchable" even by their fellow Christians. Hindu Dalits are eligible for affirmative action type programs for education and jobs, called "reservations" in India.)
The Dalit Christian People's Tribunal, comprising Retired Supreme Court Judge P. B. Sawant, noted lawyer Sona Khan and Congress MP S. K. Karvendhan besides others, said it was very unfortunate that the community was being deprived of equal rights ever since the Presidential Order of 1950 (made on the basis that Christianity did not observe caste). Addressing the media after a day -lon!
g public
hearing, members of the jury panel pointed out that the converts from Hindu religion to other faiths continue to carry their caste with them, irrespective of whether they belonged to higher or lower castes. Stating that this was the reality, they said Dalit Christians remain a disadvantaged section of society as the same disabilities continue to haunt them. The panel was unanimous in its view that the disabilities faced by Dalit Christians would disappear only when similar disabilities suffered by their counterparts in other faiths, viz Hindu, Sikh and Neo Buddhists, were wiped out.
courtsey: www.hinduismtoday.com
