While caste discrimination against Dalit Hindus continues to cause outrage in Tamil Nadu, the deep penetration of caste in Christianity has also become a point of concern.
In recent years, the State has been witnessing a battle within Christianity for recognising Dalits as equals in the diocese. The issue gained political traction with the recent release of writer Nivedita Louis’s book Christhuvathil Jathi (Caste in Christianity) by Lok Sabha MP Thol Thirumavalavan, who heads the Dalit party, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi. Mr. Thirumavalavan underlined the “strange phenomenon” in India where Christianity had established itself without any fundamental change to society. “The roots of caste have nourished Christianity (in India)” and it does not possess the “roots of Christian values,” he said.
Literary works have been a tool to expose the sharp caste-based divisions within Christianity. The acclaimed autobiographical work, Karukku, explored Dalit Christian author Bama’s disillusionment with caste oppression within the church and its institutions. Likewise, Yaathirai (Pilgrimage), a novel by Fr Mark Stephen, vividly portrayed the denial of rights to Dalit Christians, including in the administration of the church and in the organisation of festivals. The novel was an outcome of his observations as the parish priest in Ongur, between 1984 and 1990, of the humiliations meted out to Dalit Christians. His first novel, Suvargal (Walls), highlighted the need to demolish the walls that divide the tombs of Dalit and upper caste Christians.
