CNI WELCOMES RANGANATH MISHRA COMMISSION REPORTS ON DALIT CHRISTIANS & DALIT MUSLIMS

The Church of North India, a virtually Dalit church, has unreservedly welcomed the Reports of The National Commission for Religious and Linguistic Minorities (NCRLM) headed by the former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of India, Justice Ranganath Mishra, submitted to the Government of India in May 2007.

 The NCRLM report has recommended that Caste system is a unique social phenomenon specific to the Indian Society and it continues to impact social and economic lives of every faith community including the Dalits who converted Islam or Christianity.  Accordingly, the caste based discriminations experienced by the Dalit Christians and Muslims were similar in nature to that of Scheduled Castes practicing Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism.  Also recommended that Scheduled Caste status be de-linked from religion and the Scheduled Caste net be made religion-neutral as in the case of the Scheduled Tribes.  The Commission has strongly recommended that Para 3^rd of the Constitution (Scheduled Caste) Order of 1950, which has discriminated Dalits unduly, be deleted by appropriate action to grant equal rights to Dalit Christians and Dalit Muslims.

 Welcoming the report Rev. Dr. Enos Das Pradhan, General Secretary of Church of North India has appealed to the Synodical and Diocesan Boards/Committees/Commissions of CNI to write to the Prime Minister of India Dr. Man Mohan Singh and the UPA Chairperson Smt. Sonia Gandhi to act on the recommendations of NCRLM by enacting appropriate legislation granting equal rights to Dalit Christians as Scheduled Castes.