Chennai: The Tamil Nadu Government’s quota for Christians and Muslims in the State has disappointed the Dalit Christian leaders.

“All through the Tamil Nadu Government has been treating us (Dalit Christians) as backward classes, and now according to this announcement they are treating us as minorities,” says Fr L Yesumarian, a Jesuit priest and founder President of the International Dr Ambedkar Centenary Movement.

“By clubbing us with other Christians in Minorities’ list, they are sending confusing message across. It has given a setback to the entire national struggle that we have been waging in asking for a SC status,” Fr Yesumarian says.

The Movement now further plans to intensify its agitation. “We are not asking them to withdraw the Bill, but just asking them to make an amendment. While the Central Government treats Christians as a forward community, the TN Government treats us as backward. Our demand is that we be deleted from the minorities list and be put in the SC list,” Fr Yesumarian says.

Fr Arokiaraj Cosmon of the Catholic Bishops Conference of India’s SC/ST Commission agrees with the view: “More than the educational and employment opportunities we want legal protection and political representation for Dalit Christians. This (The TN quota) will not solve the problem of Dalit Christians,” he says.

“The Indian Church is 70 per cent Dalits and in TN, 65 per cent of the Christians are Dalits. We do not want to be treated at par with other Christians, but want the benefits and legal protection as enjoyed by other Scheduled Castes in the country,” Fr Cosmon says.

(Source: Indian Catholic, 24 October 2007)