Pondicherry (AsiaNews) The newly created Minorities Progressive Party of India (MPPI) is planning a petition drive in support of the demand by Tamil Nadu Christian Dalits for Scheduled Caste status, this according to Ambedkar Priyan, the MPPI founder and president.
Mr Priyan said that his party is launching a campaign to get at least ten million (one crore) signatures to submit to India's Supreme Court and Minorities Commission.
He stated that his party intends to pursue a similar initiative on behalf of Muslim minorities.
John Dayal, president of the All India Catholic Union, told AsiaNews that he backed any proposal that would ensure Dalit rights but had doubts about plans that are religion-centred.
"I fully support any forum that lobbies for Dalit rights irrespective of religion," he said. "However, I have reservations about political parties that are based on religion, including those with a Christian tag. Unlike the Akali Dal of the Sikhs, or even the Muslim party in Hyderabad, our [Christian] demographic distribution would ensure that we would not have our own political party."
In his view, "setting up Christian political parties or groupings is bound to be counterproductive from a political point of view. I don't think it would do much to defend Christian rights and influence the political process."
"Instead," he stressed, "it would be better for Christians to become engaged in different groups in civil society. Fighting discrimination against Christian Dalits would benefit from gathering support from non Christian Dalits and other Backward Class groups."
