KOLLAM: The Kerala Catholic Bishops Conference (KCBC) has said that while Dalit Sikhs and Dailt Buddhists were included in the Scheduled Community (SC) list in 1956 and 1990, respectively, through Constitution amendments, the Union and the Central and State governments remain averse to giving Dalit Christians that status.

This was mentioned in a pastoral letter read out during Sunday mass at all Catholic churches in the State on August 13. The pastoral letter forms part of the observation of Justice Sunday-2006 on August 20 by the Catholic Church in India. The Chairman of the KCBC Scheduled and Backward Communities Commission Stephen Athipozhiyil, who is the Bishop of Alappuzha, is the signatory.

The letter said even after 59 years of Independence, there were lakhs of people in the country living in a pathetic condition. Dalits suffered the worst and they continued to be discriminated in the name of caste. Catholic priests and nuns, who strived to champion human rights of Dalits, were targeted.

The letter said the Catholic community in India had a responsibility to come forward for the liberation of Dalit Christians. "The community continues to be vociferous against the injustice shown by the Government to Dalit Christians. As a result, the State Government had granted some concessions. But still, reservation rights for jobs and education have not been given," the letter said.

The Dalit Christians would enjoy these rights only if they were included in the Scheduled Community list. "Dalit Christians and Dalits lost their rights only because they embraced Christianity. Though the Central Government in 1996 called for the opinion of the State with regard to granting reservation rights to Dalit Christians, the Government has not responded," the pastoral letter said. .

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