India's Bishops to Observe 'Black Day' to Demand Justice for Dalit Christians, Muslims

Sunday’s Prayer, Demonstrations Seek That Benefits of Scheduled Castes Be Extended

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An ecumenical coalition of Christian leaders, including the Indian bishops’ conference, plans to observe next Sunday as Black Day to protest discrimination against Dalit Christians and Dalit Muslims.

The Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI) the National Council of Churches in India (NCCI) and National Council of Dalit Christians (NCDC) plan to observe August 10 as Black Day to protest against the discrimination meted out to Dalit Christians and Dalit Muslims by not granting them Scheduled Caste benefits as an act of religious discrimination and in contravention of the Constitutional provision of equality.  

Explaining the issue further Fr. Z. Devasagayaraj, an official of the bishops’ conference, said: The Constitution (Scheduled Caste) order 1950 was signed on 10th August 1950 by the then President of India which says that “No person who professes a religion other than Hinduism shall be deemed to be a member of the Scheduled Caste” which was later amended to include Sikhs (1956) and Buddhists (1990) in the Scheduled Caste net. This order is against the Secular nature (Preamble of the Constitution) of the country, against Article 14 (Equality before the law), article 15 (prohibition of discrimination of any citizen on ground of only religion), Article 25 (Freedom of Conscience and free to profess any religion), Article 26 (equality before the law and equal protection of the law) and against the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which India is a party. 

The Dalit Christians and Dalit Muslims observe August 10th as Black Day throughout India. Civil Writ petition 180/2004 in the Honorable Supreme Court of India praying the deletion of paragraph 3 of the Constitution (Scheduled Caste) order 1950 has been pending in the Supreme Court of India for the past 10 years since the Government is not replying to the Supreme Court.

Last year CBCI and NCCI pleaded in the above mentioned case. 

Most of the National and Regional political parties have supported the demand of Scheduled Caste status to Christians and Muslims of Scheduled Caste Origin by writing letters to the Prime Minister and concerned authorities.

Churches of all the denominations in India plans to observe August 10th as Black Day. On August 10, special Masses and prayers will be offered.  Meetings, rallies, demonstrations, hunger fasts, submitting memoranda, candle vigils and other forms of demonstrations will be also organized by the Christian communities to show support and solidarity to the suffering  Christians of Scheduled Caste Origin. 
In Delhi the Black Day will be observed on 12th August 2014 from 4.30 to 5.30 pm at CNI Bhawan, 16, Pandit Pant Marg, New Delhi by CBCI, NCCI and NCDC. Archbishop Anil Couto of Delhi, Archbishop Vincent Concessao, Emeritus of Delhi and Mr. Alwan Masih, CNI General Secretary will preside over the program. 

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