Dalit Christian plight attracts world attention

New Delhi: Six top Christian organisations of India have sent a joint appeal to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh demanding constitutional reservation to Dalit Christians. The appeal is in connection with a writ petition filed in the Supreme Court which is expected to take up the case soon. They asked the Govt. of India to:

1. Introduce in Parliament a Bill to amend the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order Amendment Bill, brought to the Lok Sabha by Sitaram Kesri on March 11, 1996;

2. Ask the Attorney-General to convey to the Supreme Court an assurance that such a Bill will be brought and that the Govt. of India will amend the existing legislation (such as the Untouchability (Prevention of atrocities) Act 1979) to extend SC privileges to Dalit Christians. The current legal status of the Dalit Christians is in contravention of India's Constitution, particularly Article 15 (1) and (4) and in breach of international standards on religious freedom. The amendment of the Constitution (SC) Order 1950 should therefore be addressed as a matter of great urgency.

Within a broader perspective, the issue of granting of SC status to Dalit Christians pertains only to a modest improvement in their position

The social and economic discrimination against Dalits of all religious groups remains a source of grave concern for the international community.

The signatories are: Archbishop of Delhi Vincent Concessao, CNI Bishop of Delhi Karam Masih, CBCI Exec. Secretary for SC/ST Commission Fr. A. Philomin Raj, All-India Catholic Union Adv. Edward Arokiadas, director, Dalit Affairs, All-India Christian Council Sam Paul, Secretary, Public Affairs and Evangelical Fellowship of India Rev. Richard Howell, Gen. Secretary, UCF, Delhi.

_______________________________________________________________________________

Jati more important than religion
OUR CORRESPONDENT

Bangalore: Which is more important? Your jati (caste) or religion? Christian, Muslim, Sikh and other religionists may say that only Hindus have the caste but non-Hindus love their religion.

Jati has remained deathless. Neither the Hindus want to give up their jati nor the non-Hindu SC/ST/BCs. Why? Because jati is identity. This argument has proved wrong as the Indians have marched 58 years from the "independence" day (1947).

Not against communism

Trivandrum: The Kerala Region Latin Catholic Council, representing an estimated 20 lakh Latin Catholics in the State has decided to abandon its decades-old pro-Congress stance and adopt a political position free from permanent allegiances aimed at protecting the larger interests of the community.

Briefing reporters on the conclusion of a two-day brainstorming session of the council, attended by around 150 select members of the clergy and laity from all over the state, here on June 19, Archbishop of Thiruvananthapuram Susaipakiam and Archbishop of Varapuzha Daniel Acharuparambil said what the community proposed to pursue was not opportunistic equidistance as such stand is normally understood but a value-based and issue-based political position.

We are not blindly opposed to communism today. We consider both the LDF and UDF to be secular formations but we are no longer prepared to trust anyone blindly, they said.

The policy document adopted by the council meeting said that though the Congress had in the past adopted positions favouring the Latin Catholic community, the same could not be said about the current stance of the party.

The Latin Catholic community is not receiving the consideration it deserves in Government or in the party.

Reservation benefits due to the community, as revealed by the Narendra Commission, are also being denied. (Times of India, June 20, 2005).

Fishermen: Latin Catholics of Kerala though Roman Catholics by religion keep aloof from the Catholic church having their separate establishment. Why? Because the Latin Catholics are considered lowly being converts from fishermen community who come under the Scheduled Castes in Kerala. The distinct ethnic identity of the community continues even after embracing Christianity.

They have their separate churches, separate colonies, separate newspapers and separate educational institutions. They are separate in everything from their co-religionists who belong to the upper caste Syrian stock.

Syrian separation: Caste continues even after conversion. This is so among all religions —though under Islam the caste transforms into a sect. The claim for separate identity is not confined to Latin Catholics alone. Syrian Christians of Kerala, who claim Brahmin descent, have even demanded a separate church for themselves. Dalit Christians are segregated from birth to death within the church. And even after death. Every caste — whether Hindu or otherwise — continues to keep its identity. This proves our point that caste is stronger and long lasting compared to religion which is just a dress worn which can be changed at will by a person.

For details read our book, Caste — A Nation Within the Nation, Books for Change, Rs. 140).

V.T. Rajshekar: Why Dalits Hate Hinduism?, DSA-2004, Rs. 20

V.T. Rajshekar: Christians & Dalit Liberation, DSA-2000, Rs.10

________________________________________________________________________________

Americans want US to get out of Iraq
OUR CORRESPONDENT

Bangalore: For quite sometime we did not write about Iraq because there was nothing new to write: Americans were getting killed on a daily basis.

We were the first in the world to predict that America would get defeated in Iraq just as it was decimated in the first Gulf War. DV proved right.

For over two years the hated Americans were hanging on in Iraq because running away was a shame on the world's sole super power. President Bush and his cronies are hiding the fact that Iraq has given a bloody nose to the Yankees.

Now we can hear a clear chorus from Americans demanding that they must get out after suffering a humiliating defeat. The whole world is today aware of the bluffs of Bush on Saddam's weapons of mass destruction. Over 1,600 American soldiers died and may be over 25,000 Iraqis have been killed since Bush announced "end of major combat operations" in May 2003.

Americans are not able to control Iraq. They went there to destroy Islamic terrorism and in turn helped promote terrorism all over the world. Today, America has become the most hated country. Saddam is enjoying the fun.

_______________________________________________________________________________

The miracle of suicide bomber
OUR CORRESPONDENT

Bangalore: Suicide bomber, before which the blood-thirsty White Western racists and their zionist masters are simply defeated, is the deadliest weapon perfected by the so-called Islamic terrorists. This one simple, inexpensive weapon is enough to conclude that the West will never, ever win the current war against Islam. This is because the White Westerners love their life but the Muslims are not afraid of death.

This one miracle weapon has decided who is going to win the current war.

Cowardly West: So far the West has not produced even one single suicide bomber. But Palestinians and the Iraqis have seen many young boys and even young girls happily dying and sacrificing for a cause.

The Western rulers have no cause. Their cause is to kill the innocents. The suicide bomber dies to defend victims of Western aggression. If this one single factor of suicide bomber is taken into account, even a child can conclude who is going to win this current horrendous war which began with 9/11.

Iran & China: With the stunning victory of the Islamic revolutionary, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (49), as the new president of Iran in the latest June 24 election, the current war against the White Western racists and their zionist masters will get a big boost. The US will now dare not touch Iran. The young Tehran Mayor's election is the most significant development since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

China trying to buy up big American oil and gas companies like Unocal and other firms, US failure to get Chinese currency revalued, the American public themselves revolting against the mad Bush, revolutionaries getting upper hand in Palestine, US troops facing daily death in Iraq — it looks the sole super power is sinking because of its blind love for its zionist master, Israel. All the predictions of DV have come true.

DV Edit Nov.16, 2001 p.7: "Who is a terrorist"