Indian Catholic leaders vow to step up campaign for dalit rights

Published: 2005-09-01

NEW DELHI, India (CNS) -- Following the Indian Supreme Court's postponement of a decision on extending equal rights to low-caste Christians, Catholic leaders vowed to step up their campaign for such rights. "We have no alternative but to intensify our campaign," said Father Philomin Raj, executive secretary of the Indian bishops' commission for dalits. "Dalit" -- meaning "trampled upon" in Sanskrit -- refers to low castes treated as untouchables under the caste system in India. "The government has let down the Christians once again," Father Raj said Aug. 26 after the Indian government sought yet another extension from the Supreme Court to clarify its stand on equal rights. The next hearing is scheduled for Oct. 18. In 1950, the government made Hindu dalits eligible for free education and reserved a certain number of seats for them in legislatures and government jobs. These statutory rights were extended to Sikh dalits in 1956 and Buddhist dalits in 1990.

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