Caste is most often seen through the prism of conflict—the heated national debates about reservations, the political polarization on the census and the attacks on young couples that have been blessed by caste panchayats.
But far away from the spotlight, there is the more benign world of organizations and activists who continue to nurture informal networks based on caste, to help fledgeling businesses, build educational institutions and promote philanthropy.
Caste continues to puzzle and infuriate many modernizers, but the institution has survived and changed in the six decades after independence even as it continues to whip up passions that can split most political parties down the middle.
At the same time, analysts feel that the caste organizations’ co-option into politics and vice-versa has led to trivialization of the groups’ roles such as their activities remaining limited to distributing medals and organizing dinners to community members
1. That this is a petition lodged under Article 32 of the Constitution of India for enforcement of the fundamental rights of the petitioners community enshrined under Article 14,15,16,21,26 and their constitutional rights enshrined under Article 341 of the Constitution of India by challenging the vires and constitutionalism of the para 3 of the Constitution (Scheduled caste ) Order, 1950. This order, issued under Article 341 of the Constitution is discriminatory on the ground of religion in that certain Hindu castes have been declared as the Scheduled Castes whereas their Muslim counterparts have been discriminated and denied the status of Scheduled Casts.
The issue of reservation in jobs and educational institutions on the basis of religion is again under scanner after the publication of the Ranganath Mishra Commission report and the interim order of the Supreme Court in the Andhra Pradesh case, providing for reservation for the backward Muslims.
The constitutional mandate is clear. It enjoins equality before the law and leaves no scope for discrimination on the grounds of religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth or any of them. Further, it provides for affirmative action for the advancement of socially and educationally backward classes, including a provision for reservation of jobs in the favour of backward classes which, in the opinion of the state, is not adequately represented in the services under the state.
The tabling of the Report of the National Commission for Religious and Linguistic Minorities (NCRLM), popularly called the Ranganath Mishra Commission report, in the Parliament recently has led to animated debates and mobilisations around the issue of reservations for the Muslim community. Within the Muslim community, there are two contending strands of opinions around this issue of reservations for the Muslim community. Within the Muslim community, there are two contending strands of opinions around this issue. The first group employs the discourse of ‘minority rights' and inter-group inequality to argue its position for reservation for the entire ‘community' (though complicated by the creamy layer provision).
It is learnt that Union law minister, Mr Veerappa Moily is keen to settle this long pending issue very shortly. He is working overtime with his officials to settle the demand of Dalit Christians. Prime Minister Dr.Manmohan Singh and UPA chairman Mrs Sonia Gandhi are also interested to see this issue settled once and for all.
After providing SC status to Dalit Christians of the country, they would be entitled for all the benefits reserved for schedule caste people.
Sources say that Moily has recently assured the delegation of National Council of Dalit Christians (NCDC) that the UPA government would not take much time to provide SC status to Dalit Christians. Welcoming the decision of government, eminent Christian scholar and writer RV Smith said that in villages Dalits Christians are still not allowed into some areas where the upper caste population lives. They are offered menial labour, and most of the time not paid for it. At tea shops there are separate utensils for us just like for Hindu Dalits.
Statistics show that more than 70% of the Christians in
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1 comments: on "Dalit Christians to get SC status soon"
Indeed a good news for Dalit Christains. But what about Dalit Muslims? When they will get justice? Where are all Dalit muslim leaders, who were champions of Dalit Muslims cause. Why they are silent?
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