Christian Dalits Equal Rights Case Again Delayed
The court hearing to grant basic human rights to Christian Dalits has been delayed again, with Christian leaders believing the delay is due to pressure from the high castes in India.
The court hearing to grant basic human rights to Christian Dalits has been delayed again, with Christian leaders believing the delay is due to pressure from the high castes in India.
The Supreme Court in India was scheduled on Oct. 25 to hear the case to determine if Christian Dalits, also known as “untouchables,” would receive rights equal to Dalits of other religions such as Hinduism, Sikhism or Buddhism. The case, however, has been postponed until late November.
K.P. Yohannan, the president and founder of Gospel for Asia (GFA), believes that the higher castes has influence the court’s decision to delay the hearing.
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“The extreme fundamentalist upper castes are trying with all their abilities to stop it and I imagine they have found some politicians or even some in the judiciary to stall it,” said Yohannan to Mission Network News (MNN). “And now, my thinking is, we need to pray, whoever that individual or individuals the Lord will change their heart.”
Under the current law, Dalits lose some of their basic constitutional rights when they become Christians; they are no longer eligible for affirmative action placements in education, employment, government and many other areas, GFA noted in a released report.
Moreover, India’s constitution, since 1950, has allowed preference towards "Scheduled Castes," which included Hindu, Buddhist and Sikh Dalits, who are eligible for free education and a reserved proportion of government jobs. Christian Dalits, however, are excluded from the benefits.
With approximately 300 million Dalits in India, a favorable ruling by the Supreme Court could potentially protect Dalits from losing basic rights when they convert to Christianity, thus overcoming the hesitancy to convert because of anti-Christian oppression.
Yohannan said earlier in the month that he was hopeful that a new law will pass in the Indian Supreme court and remarked that the growing awareness of the oppression faced by Dalits will help their cause.
Despite the rescheduling of the hearing, Yohannan remains hopeful about the outcome of the case.
“The delay until November is a positive development because it means that the Court is not rushing to judgment, and is taking seriously this case of discrimination against Dalit Christians,” the GFA president said in a statement released one day after the scheduled hearing, Oct. 26.
“It also means that Christians like you and me have more time to intercede with prayer, asking God to guide the thoughts and decisions of the judges.”
According to a government census, some 20 million Dalits have become Christians.
“Please faithfully intercede and pray with a broken heart for the sake of these millions of men, women and children who suffer so much,” Yohannan pleaded.
Gospel for Asia (GFA), which has been following and reporting on the situation of Dalit Christians in India, is an organization that trains and sends native missionaries to the most unreached areas of Asia. GFA has trained and sent more than 14,500 native missionaries who plant over 10 churches every day.
