Invitation to Join DHARNA for getting scheduled caste rights to Dalit Christians and Dalit Muslims

NATIONAL COUNCIL OF DALIT CHRISTIANS
(With the collaboration of Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India and National Council of Churches in India)

Invites you to a

Rally that starts at 9.00 am from Kerala House, New Delhi and the Dharna at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi till 6.00 pm
On 18th November, 2009 (Wednesday) to express the Urgency and Gravity of Christians’ Muslims’ and Secular-minded peoples’
Just Demand for

SCHEDULED CASTE RIGHTS TO
DALIT CHRISTIANS AND DALIT MUSLIMS

The Constitutional Scheduled Caste Order 1950, restricted SC status only to SCs professing Hinduism later on extended to SCs who embraced Sikhism and Buddhism. Dalit Christians and Dalit Muslims have been denied their right for the last fifty nine years. National Commission for Religious and Linguistic Minorities-NCRLM stated that non inclusion of SC Christians and SC Muslims in the SC list is a discrimination based on religion and goes against the articles 14, 15 and 25 of the Constitution of India. Religion must be de-linked from caste. The discriminatory Para 3 of the Constitutional Scheduled Caste Order 1950 should be deleted by appropriate action. But, it is very unfortunate that the Union Government has shelved this report and makes millions of SC Christians and SC Muslims continue to suffer unjustly. The Writ petition filed in the Supreme Court in 2004 is unduly delayed because of the indifference of the Union Government to give a reply to the Supreme Court. Meanwhile the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) has recommended that Scheduled Caste status must be extended to the Scheduled Caste Christians and Scheduled Caste Muslims. The National Commission for Minorities too has supported the demand.

Most of the political parties have supported the demand of Scheduled Caste Christians and Muslims. Various dharnas and protest rallies have been organized in the state and national level to assert our rights. Prime Ministers including the present one and various Ministers have made assurances that it would be done. So far they have been only empty promises.

OUR DEMANDS
• Table the National Commission for Religious and Linguistic Minorities in the Parliament with Action Taken Report and implement its recommendations.
• Give appropriate answer to the query of the Supreme Court to the Writ Petitions demanding the deletion of the unjust para 3 of the Constitution Scheduled Castes Order 1950 to extend Scheduled Caste Status to Christians and Muslims of Scheduled Caste origin.

For Further details, contact the following persons

Prof. M. Mary John
Chairman
09848408236

Mr. V.J. George
National Convener
09895555832

Mr. Franklin Caesar Thomas
National Coordinator
09818805668

Fr. A.X.J. Bosco
Convener
09444181037