Ten thousand Christians and Muslims march on New Delhi for Dalits
by Santosh Digal
The demonstration led by the Archbishop of Delhi, Vincent Concessao. Cardinal Oswald Gracias, "I am a Dalit, and suffer what you suffer." The request: not to exclude Christians and Muslims Dalits from the benefits of the law that protects the most vulnerable castes.
New Delhi (AsiaNews) - After a hunger strike lasting three days involving Church leaders and thousands of activists from all over India, on July 28 a crowd of over ten thousand people marched for more than five kilometers across the streets of New Delhi, from Ramlila to Jantar Mantar to demand that the government guarantee and defend the rights of all Dalits.
More than 50 archbishops and bishops along with thousands of priests, nuns and lay people attended the event, including Cardinal Oswald Gracias of Mumbai. The cardinal said: "I am a Dalit and suffer what you suffer," and he asked the government to include Dalit Christians and Muslims in the list of protected castes. The cardinal said that the law excluding Dalit Christians and Muslims from the benefits is "blatant discrimination" and a violation of Indian constitution.
The march from Jantar Mantar was led by the Archbishop of Delhi, Vincent M. Concessao and other church leaders and began with a prayer and with flags, placards and slogans in support of the Dalits. Archbishop Concessao, who has been following the campaign for thirty years, said that "our cause that brought us together in the capital from all over the country is a national cause, and is clearly enshrined in the Preamble of our constitution, which proclaims this vision in terms of justice, equality, liberty and fraternity. Justice is a cause of humanity. It is the cause of God himself, as the Bible says. "
The prelate added: "As a result those who oppose justice by action or inaction or delay tactics are digging their own graves. They do not need opponents to defeat them. No matter how powerful kings and kingdoms and political parties were, when they perpetrated injustice on the helpless people, they crumbled down. This has happened before; it is happening now and will happen in the future because justice is a basic demand of all humanity. "
The Archbishop added that it is becoming increasingly who the real block is. Hindu religious parties in the country will never accept equal justice but almost all other parties, both national and regional, have supported the demand. It was during the Congress rule that the discriminatory paragraph was inserted and today it is the UPA Government and the Congress party that should shoulder its responsibility to delete that clause. Archbishop Concessao appealed to the Government to take this affirmative action immediately, lest disaster strikes, ‘for if the government turns a deaf ear to the tears of the Dalits, God will not do so”.
More than 50 archbishops and bishops along with thousands of priests, nuns and lay people attended the event, including Cardinal Oswald Gracias of Mumbai. The cardinal said: "I am a Dalit and suffer what you suffer," and he asked the government to include Dalit Christians and Muslims in the list of protected castes. The cardinal said that the law excluding Dalit Christians and Muslims from the benefits is "blatant discrimination" and a violation of Indian constitution.
The march from Jantar Mantar was led by the Archbishop of Delhi, Vincent M. Concessao and other church leaders and began with a prayer and with flags, placards and slogans in support of the Dalits. Archbishop Concessao, who has been following the campaign for thirty years, said that "our cause that brought us together in the capital from all over the country is a national cause, and is clearly enshrined in the Preamble of our constitution, which proclaims this vision in terms of justice, equality, liberty and fraternity. Justice is a cause of humanity. It is the cause of God himself, as the Bible says. "
The prelate added: "As a result those who oppose justice by action or inaction or delay tactics are digging their own graves. They do not need opponents to defeat them. No matter how powerful kings and kingdoms and political parties were, when they perpetrated injustice on the helpless people, they crumbled down. This has happened before; it is happening now and will happen in the future because justice is a basic demand of all humanity. "
The Archbishop added that it is becoming increasingly who the real block is. Hindu religious parties in the country will never accept equal justice but almost all other parties, both national and regional, have supported the demand. It was during the Congress rule that the discriminatory paragraph was inserted and today it is the UPA Government and the Congress party that should shoulder its responsibility to delete that clause. Archbishop Concessao appealed to the Government to take this affirmative action immediately, lest disaster strikes, ‘for if the government turns a deaf ear to the tears of the Dalits, God will not do so”.
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