Amid opposition from sections of Dalit Hindu communities to the granting of Scheduled Caste status to Dalits who have converted to Christianity and Islam, the National Council for Dalit Christians (NCDC) and other allied organisations are making efforts to build a consensus among them — especially in the southern States — to garner support for their cause, NCDC Chairperson V.J. George said on Monday. The statement comes even as their challenge to the religion criteria of the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950, is to be heard by the Supreme Court on Tuesday.
According to a notification issued last Thursday, the Union government has formed a three-member Commission of Inquiry, headed by former Chief Justice of India Justice K.G. Balakrishnan, to look into whether Dalit Christians and Dalit Muslims can be granted SC status and the implications of such a decision, including on existing SC communities.
The NCDC Chairperson said that the terms of reference for the panel should not be unfairly skewed to consider the opposition from existing SC communities. “It should consider evidence, data, and constitutionality or the lack of it of denying privileges to communities based on the religion they profess. This should be the criteria to approach it,” Mr. George said.
