Dalit Christians plan stir for Scheduled Caste status

The National Council of Dalit Christians on Tuesday stepped up their demand for granting Scheduled Caste status to all dalits irrespective of religion, and deletion of Para 3 of the Presidential Order of 1950.  Constituents of the Council are also planning to resort to agitation to mount pressure on the Government.  In a representation prepared at the national executive of the Council, signatories criticised the non-committal attitude of the Congress to this long-pending demand of Dalit Christians from across the country. Also, the Council has sought to remind the Congress of its 1996 and 2004 election-eve promise to extend SC status to dalit converts to Christianity.  Along with the representation, the Council has attached a letter of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh supporting the demand.

(Source: The Hindu, September 19, 2007)