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Hunger strike for the rights of Christian and Muslim Dalits
by Nirmala Carvalho
For Mgr Vincent Concessao, archbishop of New Delhi, the mass hunger strike (25-27 July) is “a warning” because “History has seen the downfall of many apparently powerful governments when justice was denied.” The strike will on 28 July with march on parliament.
Mumbai (AsiaNews) – More than a thousand people have gone on a hunger strike to convince the Indian government to extend the Scheduled Caste status to Christian and Muslim Dalits. The three-day protest action (25-27 July) will end in a march on parliament on Thursday, which will be joined by bishops, other religious leaders, as well as Christian and Muslim faithful and human rights activists.
“This is our clarion call for constitutional justice for the weakest of the society, our Dalit Christians and Dalit Muslims are being discriminated on the basis of their faith,” Mgr Vincent Concessao, archbishop of New Delhi, told AsiaNews.
The fight for equal rights for Christian and Muslim Dalits has been going on since 1950 when parliament adopted Article 3 of the constitution, which recognises Scheduled Castes. Based on such constitutional principle, the government has granted specific economic, educational and social rights for Hindu Dalits. In 1956 and 1990, the same rights were granted to Buddhist and Sikh Dalits.
“The Congress-led UPA (United Progressive Alliance) government is solely responsible for the denial of rights and equality for Christian and Muslim Dalits,” the archbishop said. “This hunger strike is a warning to our politicians. History has seen the downfall of many apparently powerful governments when justice was denied.”
As a reminder, on 27 December 2006, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, called untouchability a “blot on humanity”, Mgr Concessao said. “Regrettably, Christian Dalits are crushed by double discrimination, purely on the basis of their faith.”