Letter Campaign for Dalit Christian Reservation
Letter Campaign for Dalit Christian Reservation
June 27, 2006
Dear Dalit Bahujan Leaders,
This is special request to kindly help Dalits of other faith different than Hindu Dalits, Sikh Dalits and Buddhist Dalits.
The Supreme Court of India, once it convenes in July 2006 after its summer vacations, is expected to take up hearings on the writ petition seeking full SC rights for all Dalits irrespective of religion.
The government has asked the National Commission on Religious and Linguistic Minorities, otherwise called the Justice Rangnath Misra Commission, to look into the demand and give its opinion. This opinion will be presented before the Supreme Court
The Misra Commission has asked the Tata Consultancy to organize seminars on the subject. It has also asked the public to give its suggestions in the next few weeks. Earlier it held public meeting sin many cities in various parts of the countries.
Major Christian groups have already given one round of testimony. Apparently that has not satisfied someone in the Commission.
This is perhaps because the RSS and its more than 100 daughter organisations have launched a massive counter campaign against Christians in general and Christians of Dalit origin in particular and are flooding the offices of the Misra Commission with their poisonous hate mail.
This is to request you, therefore, to kindly send your letters and documents to the Justice Misra Commission in support of the demand of Christians of Dalit origin, to get this marginalized group its fundamental rights so brutally snatched from it by the Presidential Order 1950.
The postal address is "Member Secretary, NCRLM, Gate 30, II Floor,Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium New Delhi 110003. The Email Id of member secretary is das_asha@yahoo.com
The Chairman's postal address is 31, Aurangazeb Road New Delhi 110001. The Commission's Email Id is: ncrlm2005@rediffmail.com.
Support us in our campaign for Christians of Dalit origin by sending email to the commission.Sample letter is printed on back of this letter. Kindly print it in your official letter head and send to the address given as your earliest. Thank you
Yours sincerely,
Rev. M. Madhu Chandra
Regional Secretary
The Supreme Court of India, once it convenes in July 2006 after its summer vacations, is expected to take up hearings on the writ petition seeking full SC rights for all Dalits irrespective of religion.
The government has asked the National Commission on Religious and Linguistic Minorities, otherwise called the Justice Rangnath Misra Commission, to look into the demand and give its opinion. This opinion will be presented before the Supreme Court
The Misra Commission has asked the Tata Consultancy to organize seminars on the subject. It has also asked the public to give its suggestions in the next few weeks. Earlier it held public meeting sin many cities in various parts of the countries.
Major Christian groups have already given one round of testimony. Apparently that has not satisfied someone in the Commission.
This is perhaps because the RSS and its more than 100 daughter organisations have launched a massive counter campaign against Christians in general and Christians of Dalit origin in particular and are flooding the offices of the Misra Commission with their poisonous hate mail.
This is to request you, therefore, to kindly send your letters and documents to the Justice Misra Commission in support of the demand of Christians of Dalit origin, to get this marginalized group its fundamental rights so brutally snatched from it by the Presidential Order 1950.
The postal address is "Member Secretary, NCRLM, Gate 30, II Floor,Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium New Delhi 110003. The Email Id of member secretary is das_asha@yahoo.com
The Chairman's postal address is 31, Aurangazeb Road New Delhi 110001. The Commission's Email Id is: ncrlm2005@rediffmail.com.
Support us in our campaign for Christians of Dalit origin by sending email to the commission.Sample letter is printed on back of this letter. Kindly print it in your official letter head and send to the address given as your earliest. Thank you
Yours sincerely,
Rev. M. Madhu Chandra
Regional Secretary
__________________________________________________________
Please Use your Organisation/church letter head
Sample letter to Justice Shri Ranganath Misra Commission
Date:
Justice Shri Ranganath Misra
Chairman
National Commission for Religious & Linguistic Minorities
Gate No 30, II Floor, Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium
Lodi Road, New Delhi – 110 003
Sir,
Subject: Extension of Reservations to Dalit Christians.
We are glad that the Commission headed by you has been requested to examine the justification for specification of Dalit Christians as Scheduled Castes for the purpose of reservation. Kindly permit us to submit the following for your kind consideration.
In spite of various efforts made by the governments, caste discrimination and untouchability remain a major social concern specific to Indian Society.
Although they are Christians, the Christians of Scheduled Castes Origin live and work along with Hindu Dalits. The stigma of untouchability and social ostracism haunt them wherever they go and whatever they do.
Just because of being Christians, they are not spared from communal violence and abuse by upper and dominant caste communities. Nor are they treated equally by the upper caste Christians.
That they continue to suffer from the same socio economic disabilities and that the change of religion does not alter their socio-economic status have been established by various commissions appointed by the governments from time to time and also by the many rulings by the Supreme Court.
Moreover the discrimination against Dalit Christians based on the third para of the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order 1950 goes against many articles of the Constitution of India. It is discrimination on the basis of religion and it is sad to note that the violation is done by the State itself (Article 15)
It also goes against Freedom of Religion (Article 25). The Order forces the Dalits to remain in a particular religion, allured by the socio economic privileges and fear of losing the same if they dare to choose a religion of their choice.
The Dalit Christians, though they are Dalits, are deprived and denied of civil and legal safeguards and protection that are provided for Hindu Dalits under the Protection of Civil Rights Act 1976, Untouchability (Offences) Act 1955 and SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act 1989. Thus they stand vulnerable to the abuses and attacks of the dominant castes, without any possibility of legal redressal as Dalits.
Besides, the Government has already amended the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order) 1950 twice: First in 1956 to include Dalit Sikhs and next in 1990 to include Dalit Buddhists in the Scheduled Castes.
The Government has already considered the demand of the Dalit Christians and prepared the draft amendment bill in 1996. The Statement of Objects and Reasons of Bill NO17 of 1996 says: "Converts to the Christian religion, who are of the Scheduled Castes origin, are precluded from the statutory benefits and safeguards accruing to members of the Scheduled Castes. Demands have been made from time to time for extending these benefits and safeguards to the Christians of the Scheduled Castes origin by granting them recognition as the Scheduled Castes on the ground that the change of religion has not altered their social and economic conditions. Upon due consideration of these demands, it is proposed to amend the relevant Constitution (Scheduled Cates) Orders to include the Christian converts from the Scheduled Castes as the Scheduled Castes therein, hence the Bill."
It is clear from the above statement that the government is asserting that the 'change of religion has not altered social and economic conditions' and that it has 'duly considered the demand and proposed to amend the Order' and the statement holds good even now when caste violence is so open and the number is on the increase. Hence we request you to kindly recommend to the Government to include the Christians of Scheduled Caste Origin in the Scheduled Castes and provide them the same status as their counterparts in Hinduism, Sikhism and Buddhism.
Thanking you,
Yours Sincerely,
Name, Address and phone number
Sample letter to Justice Shri Ranganath Misra Commission
Date:
Justice Shri Ranganath Misra
Chairman
National Commission for Religious & Linguistic Minorities
Gate No 30, II Floor, Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium
Lodi Road, New Delhi – 110 003
Sir,
Subject: Extension of Reservations to Dalit Christians.
We are glad that the Commission headed by you has been requested to examine the justification for specification of Dalit Christians as Scheduled Castes for the purpose of reservation. Kindly permit us to submit the following for your kind consideration.
In spite of various efforts made by the governments, caste discrimination and untouchability remain a major social concern specific to Indian Society.
Although they are Christians, the Christians of Scheduled Castes Origin live and work along with Hindu Dalits. The stigma of untouchability and social ostracism haunt them wherever they go and whatever they do.
Just because of being Christians, they are not spared from communal violence and abuse by upper and dominant caste communities. Nor are they treated equally by the upper caste Christians.
That they continue to suffer from the same socio economic disabilities and that the change of religion does not alter their socio-economic status have been established by various commissions appointed by the governments from time to time and also by the many rulings by the Supreme Court.
Moreover the discrimination against Dalit Christians based on the third para of the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order 1950 goes against many articles of the Constitution of India. It is discrimination on the basis of religion and it is sad to note that the violation is done by the State itself (Article 15)
It also goes against Freedom of Religion (Article 25). The Order forces the Dalits to remain in a particular religion, allured by the socio economic privileges and fear of losing the same if they dare to choose a religion of their choice.
The Dalit Christians, though they are Dalits, are deprived and denied of civil and legal safeguards and protection that are provided for Hindu Dalits under the Protection of Civil Rights Act 1976, Untouchability (Offences) Act 1955 and SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act 1989. Thus they stand vulnerable to the abuses and attacks of the dominant castes, without any possibility of legal redressal as Dalits.
Besides, the Government has already amended the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order) 1950 twice: First in 1956 to include Dalit Sikhs and next in 1990 to include Dalit Buddhists in the Scheduled Castes.
The Government has already considered the demand of the Dalit Christians and prepared the draft amendment bill in 1996. The Statement of Objects and Reasons of Bill NO17 of 1996 says: "Converts to the Christian religion, who are of the Scheduled Castes origin, are precluded from the statutory benefits and safeguards accruing to members of the Scheduled Castes. Demands have been made from time to time for extending these benefits and safeguards to the Christians of the Scheduled Castes origin by granting them recognition as the Scheduled Castes on the ground that the change of religion has not altered their social and economic conditions. Upon due consideration of these demands, it is proposed to amend the relevant Constitution (Scheduled Cates) Orders to include the Christian converts from the Scheduled Castes as the Scheduled Castes therein, hence the Bill."
It is clear from the above statement that the government is asserting that the 'change of religion has not altered social and economic conditions' and that it has 'duly considered the demand and proposed to amend the Order' and the statement holds good even now when caste violence is so open and the number is on the increase. Hence we request you to kindly recommend to the Government to include the Christians of Scheduled Caste Origin in the Scheduled Castes and provide them the same status as their counterparts in Hinduism, Sikhism and Buddhism.
Thanking you,
Yours Sincerely,
Name, Address and phone number
posted by PRO RESERVATION FRONT @ 1:11 AM
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India Inc hints it's now open to quota
[ Saturday, July 01, 2006 12:09:14 amTIMES NEWS NETWORK ]
NEW DELHI: Indian industry has finally thrown in the towel in its fight against reservations in the private sector. In a clear departure from its previous stand to oppose reservation, India Inc has now promised to work with the government to improve employment opportunities for the backward classes, beginning September.
A CII-Assocham joint task force on affirmative action, set up by the government, has pointed out that the industry is committed to work with the government to formulate an Act that will be designed to ensure that discrimination in the workplace is prohibited by law.
According to a draft prepared by the task force, a Code of Affirmative Action will be formulated for compliance by all affiliate companies of CII and Assocham, starting September 2006. CII and Assocham officials were not available for comment despite repeated attempts.
"Industry commits, in principle, to align the workforce in its companies and units with the diversoty goals for greater representation of targeted communities, starting September 2006 progressively," the draft said.
The industry, it said, will also help in improving the employability of people from the backward classes, besides taking initiatives to foster entrepreneurship.
"CII and Assocham will immediately set up a national level apex body, Councils for Affirmative Action, to promote and co-ordinate the industry's action in this regard," a source said.
The task force, sources said, has pointed out that competitiveness of companies will not be compromised in the exercise to promote employment from backward classes.
"The industry has stated that competitiveness of companies will remain a primary consideration," the source said. Companies will also be encouraged to set goals for executive positions from among applicants of targetted communities.
"For instance, companies could commit to hiring a certain number of graduating engineers from the targeted communities each year... Such policies will be applicable to new recruitment beginning September 2006," the source added
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