CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu Assembly on Wednesday passed a resolution urging the centre to extend all benefits accorded to Scheduled Castes, including reservation, to also those SC members who had converted to Christianity to enable them to get the benefits of social justice in all respects.
While all other parties, including principal opposition AIADMK, welcomed the resolution, BJP MLA Vanathi Srinivasan staged a walkout with her party colleagues in protest against the resolution. Speaker M Appavu expunged the remarks made by her in the Assembly on the issue.
Moving the resolution, Chief Minister M K Stalin said even after conversion, these SC members are being subjected to untouchability and other casteist atrocities. “We have to look into this aspect with compassion. Just because they got converted to another religion, denying them the rights enjoyed by the people of their own community is not right. It is our stand,” the CM said.
Practising all respects of the social justice system is this govt’s aim: CM
Tamil Nadu government had issued orders giving all concessions except reservation to Dalit Christians on a par with SCs. Dalits Christians continue to get all educational assistance, including incentive for pursuing full-time doctorate and higher studies in foreign countries, similar to that of SCs, the CM said.
“Our opinion is that along with these concessions, providing reservation too will be appropriate and fair,” he said. According to the Constitution (Scheduled Caste) Order 1950, “No person who professes a religion different from the Hindu, the Sikh or the Buddhist religion shall be deemed to be a member of a Scheduled Caste.” In 1956, this order was amended to include those who profess Sikhism and Buddhism as SCs.
“Dalit Christians are expecting a similar amendment. This demand was placed before the government from many quarters,” the CM said. Stalin said though people have the right to practise any religion of their choice, caste cannot be changed. Caste is not horizontal but vertical and that has become social evil.
Social justice is nothing but uplifting the sections of society that were oppressed in the name of caste by providing reservation on the basis of the very same caste. This social justice principle should be practised in all respects is the objective of this Dravidian model government, Stalin said.
Former CM M Karunanidhi had put forth the demand for treating Dalit Christians on a par with SCs in 1996, 2006, 2010 and 2011 by writing letters to PMs, and in the governor’s address on January 6, 2011, it was said that the issue would be taken up with the union government. The DMK had also promised to strive to fulfil this in its election manifesto, Stalin said.
The CM recalled that last year, the vice-chairperson of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes said people belonging to SCs when converted to another religion automatically cease to belong to SCs and if they possess a certificate as belonging to SCs, such certificate would be invalid. Since there was strong opposition to this from many quarters, the union government formed a commission headed by a retired CJI Justice KG Balakrishnan.
“I request the commission to submit its final report only after eliciting the views of all states and after visiting the states. I move this resolution urging the Centre to amend the Constitution appropriately to extend the concessions being given to SCs to those converted to Christianity too.” Talking to reporters outside the Assembly, Vanathi Srinivasan said the ruling DMK has moved the resolution only for political gains, with an eye on Lok Sabha elections.
The centre has already constituted a commission to study the issue and writ petitions are pending before the Supreme Court. “What is the need for a resolution on a subject which is under the consideration of the SC,” she asked. Questioning whether the resolution was indicative of the continuous atrocities against SCs even after they convert to Christianity and Islam, the BJP MLA accused the government of being silent on Vengaivasal issue, special legislation for retrieving Panchami lands, and unabated honour killings in the state.