"We have urged the Government several times to ensure our justice and equality but our petition have fallen on deaf ears. Now we have approached the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court is saying that there is merit in our caseit will hear the case on its merits. We do not expect the Supreme Court to give direction to the Legislature to make the law that will remove our backwardness. What we expect from the Supreme Court is that it will give a direction to the Government to consider our issue and solve the matter in stipulated time. This is the reason why we went to the Supreme Court," he continued.
"As Dalit Christians we are entitled to minority rights. But we are denied any access to the rights. Look at Christian educational institutions. If you look at recruitment of staff, the admission process, etc., in all these things the Dalit Christians are denied any opportunity. Naturally, there is not a single institution run or managed by a Dalit Christian or Dalit Christian institution in India," George explained. "We are the only community in India who do not benefit from being a minority community. Dalit Buddhists, Dalit Sikhs have benefited, but not Dalit Christians. So now we are saying that we are Dalits, not minority. We are the indigenous people of this country. Why should we be then segregated from the others on the basis of religion?"
"For over 50 years, we have been deprived of our basic human rights. We have been completely alienated from mainstream educational, social and economic life. Even if we get Scheduled Caste status, we have a backlog of about 50 years," he said, adding, "But look - Dalit Hindus have progressed a lot in terms of education and economic development and now even represent in Parliament, etc."
"According to me, reservation benefits should be given on basis of untouchability, only to Dalits. Communities who have suffered untouchability and communities who have experienced all the socio-economic and educational backwardness because of prevalence of untouchability, should be given reservation benefits," he concluded. "This should be the criteria for reservation and not religion."
Caste, a social stratification rooted deep in Hinduism, organizes people by a combination of descent and employment. The lowest group in the caste system is the Dalits. While atrocities against the Dalits have been practiced for thousands of years, caste-based atrocities are reaching new heights and are causing tension across many areas.
A 1950 Presidential Order excluded Dalit convert to Christianity from the quota system that reserved jobs to members of the Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes in the public service. The same exclusion applies to those who convert to Islam but not to those who become Hindu, Buddhist or Sikh.
However, in a significant step, the Supreme Court recently decided to consider afresh the crucial constitutional issue of affirmative action in the public sector for Dalit converts to Christianity, refuting the government plea that it be treated as a legislative problem.
The matter, however, has been adjourned several times and the apex court is expected to take up the hearing again in April 2007.
An estimated 70 percent of India's 26 million Christians belong to the socially discriminated Dalit groups, who need social, educational and economic support to integrate to the mainstream of society.
