VELLORE: Over 400 members of the Dalit Christian community in Vellore observed Black Day on Monday, taking part in the annual nationwide protest demanding SC status for Dalit Christians and Muslims, and repealing of the 1950 presidential order that had then granted SC status exclusively to Hindus.
The protest was organised by Vellore Catholic Diocese SC/ST committee, the CSI church-Vellore diocese, and the All Minorities Federation.
Protesters gathered near the Anna Kalaiarangam on Monday and were joined by Vellore Catholic Bishop Ambrose Pichamuthu and Vellore CSI Bishop Sharma Nithyanandam, along with more than 20 other fathers and pastors from across the district.
August 10 has been observed as Black Day annually since 2009 as the presidential order, which excluded non-Hindu converts, was passed on this date in 1950.
Protesters recalled multiple instances where recommendations of individual commission reports, such as the Ranganath Misra Commission (2007) report, are yet to be implemented.
The Misra Commission observed that the majority of the Christians who needed protective law from discrimination belonged to Scheduled Caste converts, thus needing constitutional protection.
Rev. Pastor Isaac Kathirvel said it was ironic that the government itself isn’t implementing the suggestions of the commission it formed. “Our people are still SC in villages, and our houses are still cheri/slums; even in terms of marriage and matrimony, we are discriminated against as Dalits.
What is stopping the union government from granting us the SC status?” he asked. T
he Misra Commission’s report suggests that the converted Christians and Muslims of SC origin continue to be victims of the caste system and suffer from a comparable depth of social and economic disabilities and educational backwardness to those already recognised a SC.
The commission also pointed out that protection under the Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955, and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, was inaccessible to the Dalit Christians and Muslims even after suffering from innumerable forms of indignities and atrocities inflicted upon them.
“Dalit Christians are being oppressed both politically and even in our legal justice system. This is an injustice to us. Just like the protest and the dissent of the youngsters from the Cockroach Janta Party, Dalit Christians throughout India should unite for their constitutional right," said Tiruvanamalai Vicar Forane, Bopathi Lourdusamy.
The protest was later followed by songs remembering the 1997 Melavalavu and the 1968 Keezh- venmani massacres, and Panidhu poga matome, Evanukum Bayandhu vaazha matome composed by Dalit Subbaiah.
They reiterated their demands to include Dalit Christians and Dalit Muslims, similar to the inclusion of Sikhs in 1956 and Buddhists in 1990.
Additionally, the protesters seek to ensure equal access to reservations, education, employment, political representation, and social justice. "As the next step, we are ready to take our demand to CM Vijay and PM Modi, whose union government holds the power to include us in Scheduled Caste (SC) status.
We’ve been fighting for 76 years; by next year, if our demands are not met, we will march to Delhi. “Chalo Delhi," said one of the protesters.
