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Supreme Court defers hearing on Dalit Christian to November 28 |
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Written by Correspondent
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Wednesday, 19 September 2007 |
 New Delhi: The Supreme Court has once again postponed the hearing on the issue of granting reservation to Dalit Christians. This time it has been posted for 28 November 2007. This has come as a shock to the Dalit Christian community. They are furious at the way their demand has been handled at the top level, including the judiciary. “I thought the next hearing on the Franklin Caesar case was on 19 September 2007. However when I looked at the Supreme Court website, I found the hearing postponed to 28 November 2007,” an agitated source said. In fact, the Supreme Court was supposed to pronounce its verdict on 19 July 2007, restoring Scheduled Caste status to Dalit Christians which was taken away by Presidential Order 1950. The Ordinance stated, "Only those belonging to Hindu will be the members of Scheduled Caste," as per as Article 341 Para 3 of the Constitution. This ordinance denied Sikh members of Scheduled Caste till 1956 amendment and Buddhist till 1990 amendment. Repeated assurances have been given by government after government and recommended by commission after commission. Yet Scheduled Caste Christians and Muslims remain denied of their birth rights till date.
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 20 September 2007 )
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