Rally In Delhi Demanding SC Rights To Dalit Muslims And Christians

NEW DELHI, MAR. 12, 2008, 17.30 Hrs (CBCI News):

National Council of Dalit Christians will be organising a huge rally on Mar. 14, in New Delhi, demanding Scheduled Caste rights to Dalit Christians and Dalit Muslims.

The rally is to “express the urgency and gravity of Christians’ and Muslims’ just demand for Scheduled Caste rights to Dalit Christians and Dalit Muslim,” said the communiqué issued by the organisers.

Rally that starts at 9.00 am from Kerala House in New Delhi and continue in Dharna at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi till 6.00 pm on March 14, 2008 .

The discrimination against Dalit Christians and Dalit Muslims is based on the third paragraph of the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order 1950. It goes against many articles of Indian Constitution. It is discrimination on the basis of religion and it is sad to note that the violation is done by the State itself. It also goes against Freedom of Religion (Article 25, Constitution of India) and Human Rights, said the organisers.

“We recommend that para 3rd of the Constitution (Scheduled Caste) Order 1950 – which originally restricted the Scheduled Caste net to the Hindus and later opened it to Sikkh 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 delink the Scheduled Caste Status from religion and make the Scheduled Caste net fully religion-neutral like that of the ST,” said the Justice R. Misra Commission Report.

“It was decided that (Scheduled Caste) reservation should be extended to Dalit Christians and Dalit Muslims,” opined the National Commission for Scheduled Castes.

“We urge the UPA Govt to delay no more! Act immediately! Grant equal Scheduled Caste Status to SC Christians and SC Muslims,” is the demand of the organisers.