Wednesday, July 30, 2008

** Dalit Christians will reconvert?

http://news.webindia123.com/news/articles/India/20080730/1013533.html
Dalit Christians allege discrimination, say will reconvert
Puducherry - Jul 30 2008 IST

Alleging discrimination against them by upper caste Christians, Dalit Christians here today threatened to "reembrace Hinduism", if it was not ended.

Addressing a press conference, National President of the Federation of National Dalit Christians M S Raj said their ancestors were Hindus who had converted to Christianity when Europeans came to India.

But after they left the country, the Dalit Christians could not get the compassion and protection they had been enjoying and the Indian Christians came under the caste feelers.

Gradually, they began ruling over Dalit Christians. Stating that the Eraiyur incident was one example to show how Dalit Christians were being discriminated against, he alleged. He charged that peace had not been restored in Eraiyur and that it was under police control.

He claimed that Dalit Christians had been deprived of several of their rights because of the conversion and said they could not become a doctor, engineer, IAS or IPS officers, avail the benefit of Reservation and were being suppressed by higher caste Christians in all aspects.

Hence, the leader of the Tamil Nadu Bishops Council Rev Fernando would hold a meetiing with all the 18 Bishops in Tamil Nadu to find a solution to their problems, he said.

The Dalit Christians would wait till August 15 and if no action was taken to end this discrimination, they would reembrace Hinduism. -- (UNI)