The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : DMK will fight for SC status to Dalit Christians: Chief Minister

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Dec 25, 2010
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

DMK will fight for SC status to Dalit Christians: Chief Minister

Special Correspondent

Ecumenical get-together organised byCNI

— Photo: S.R. Raghunathan

Heralding the festival:Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi cutting a Christmas cake at a function in Chennai on Thursday.

Chennai: The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam will take up the cause of Dalit Christians in Parliament to grant them constitutional reservation, its president and Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi announced here on Thursday.

Taking part in the ecumenical get-together organised by Christuva Nallenna Iyakkam (CNI) in which all the dioceses in the State participated, he was categorical that the demand for Scheduled Caste (SC) status for Dalit Christians “is not only just but also indisputable.”

When Dalits who had joined other religions had been given such a constitutional status, why those who had joined Christianity alone should be denied this benefit, he asked. “If necessary we will even lead an agitation,” he added.

He was responding to the submission of Archbishop of Mylpore A.M. Chinnappa and also Peter Alphonse, MLA that such a situation, which came into existence through a Constitutional Order in 1950, continued even now despite the efforts of Mr. Karunanidhi.

The Chief Minister also announced that he would concede two other demands of the Christian leaders—educational grant for all schools up to 12 {+t} {+h} which were offering Tamil medium and also Most Backward Class status for various castes among Christians on a par with Hindus.

Mr. Karunanidhi, paying an eloquent tribute to Christian missionaries for their service to Tamil Nadu and Tamil literature, said the house where Caldwell resided at Ilayangudi in Tirunelveli District would be declared a memorial and his statue would be unveiled at a function to be held in that district next month.

Deputy Chief Minister M.K. Stalin also recounted the yeoman service of Christian missionaries with regard to Tamil literature and pointed out that it was Caldwell who contended that Tamil was a classical language. Besides, it was G.U. Pope who had translated a large number of Tamil works into English.

It was these missionaries who were instrumental in bringing out the first dictionary in Tamil and who had translated Thirukkural into Latin. S. Inigo Irudayaraj, chairman, CNI, welcomed the gathering. Those who spoke included Rev. V. Devasaghayam, Bishop of Chennai Diocese, Rev. Ezra Sargunam, ECI Bishop, D.G.S. Paul Dinakaran, chief of Jesus Calls, D. Mohan, pastor of Pudu Vazhvu –Assembly of God, Rev Charles Binny Jospeh from Forum of Pendegoste units, and Jessinda Quadras, principal, Stella Maris College.

Chairman of the Tamil Nadu Minorities Commission Vincent Chinnadurai proposed a vote of thanks.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Tamil Nadu