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 New Delhi, April 4, 2007 - The long-awaited Supreme Court judgment on a Dalit Christian's petition to be given Scheduled Caste status was once again postponed. The Ranganath Misra Commission has delayed releasing its report on the socio-economic and educational condition of Dalit Christians.
The Supreme Court of India hearing on WRIT PETITION (CIVIL) No. 180 of 2004, which had already been postponed multiple times, was scheduled for April 3, 2007. However, authorities announced on April 3 that the hearing would be postponed till mid-July 2007. The reason, according to media sources, was that the Misra Commission was instructed to delay submission of its report, due to the Supreme Court on March 26, until after the Uttar Pradesh elections ended on May 15 in order to avoid any potential political controversy. The Misra Commission, a five-member commission under the chairmanship of Justice Ranganath Misra, was set up in March 2005 as the National Commission for Religious & Linguistic Minorities. Its mandate was to examine the criteria for defining "backwardness" among people of Scheduled Caste origin who had converted to other religions besides Hinduism, Sikhism and Buddhism. Dalit Christians are asking the Indian government to restore their Scheduled Caste status, which they used to have before 1950. Following a 1950 Presidential Order, Dalits who were non-Hindu were suddenly stripped of their Scheduled Caste status. This status included benefits and privileges such as reservations in education institutions and government jobs. Although Sikh and Buddhist Dalits saw their Scheduled Caste status restored in 1956 and 1990, respectively, Dalit Christians continue to be denied their legal birthright. Dr. Jose ph D'souza, President of the All India Christian Council, and International President of Dalit Freedom Network, said, "The 1950 Presidential Order clearly violates the Indian Constitutional provision to religion-based discrimination." Various studies conducted by the Misra Commission involving leading social scientists, politicians, and academicians indicate that Dalits continue to suffer discrimination, irrespective of their religion. In particular, Dalit Christians -- even after their conversion -- suffer social discrimination and remain in the same educational and economic condition as before. Most upper-caste communities have opposed the restoration of Scheduled Caste status to Dalit Christians, arguing that reservations should not be allotted on the basis of religion. However, rebuts Dr. D'souza, "Why then did the Indian government discriminate against non-Hindu Dalits on the basis of religion in the 1950 Presidential Order?" The All India Christian Council (www.aiccindia.org), birthed in 1998, exists to protect and serve the Christian community, minorities, and the oppressed castes. The aicc is a coalition of thousands of Indian denominations, organizations, and lay leaders.
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