BRS delegation arrives in New Delhi to meet Justice K Balakrishnan Commission on SC status demand for Dalit Christians
New Delhi, June 9
The Bharat Rashtra Samithi delegation arrived in the national capital on Tuesday and is set to meet the Justice K. Balakrishnan Commission regarding the demand for granting Scheduled Caste status to Dalit Christians.
As per the party's directives, the delegation is holding discussions in Delhi with the Commission, which has been appointed by the Central Government.
The delegation includes Rajya Sabha Deputy Floor Leader Vaddiraju Ravichandra, former minister Koppula Eshwar, party General Secretary RS Praveen Kumar, and former Corporation Chairman Rajiv Sagar, among others.
Earlier, YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) MP Maddila Gurumoorthy, along with a party delegation, recently met the Commission's chairperson and submitted a detailed representation seeking inclusion of Christians of Scheduled Caste origin under the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950.
In his letter, Gurumoorthy stated, "I most respectfully submit this representation before the Hon'ble Justice Balakrishnan Commission seeking inclusion of Christians of Scheduled Caste origin within the ambit of the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950, in furtherance of the constitutional principles of equality, secularism, social justice, and substantive non-discrimination."
He also referred to the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly's unanimous resolution adopted on March 24, 2023, where former Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and the YSRCP recognised that Dalit Christians remain socially and economically backward, recommending their inclusion in the SC list.
"It is pertinent to submit that the former Chief Minister, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, on behalf of the YSR Congress Party, through a unanimous resolution adopted by the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly on 24 March 2023, categorically resolved that Dalit Christians continue to remain socially, educationally, and economically backward to the same extent as Scheduled Castes professing Hinduism, Sikhism, and Buddhism, and accordingly supported their inclusion in the Scheduled Castes list," the letter stated.
Gurumoorthy further argued that exclusion of Dalit Christians amounts to religion-based classification and said that conversion does not erase caste-based disadvantages. He also highlighted that despite facing similar social and economic conditions, Dalit Christians remain outside the ambit of protections under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.
He added that Article 341(2) of the Constitution empowers Parliament to include communities in the SC list and urged that the provision be applied in line with current social realities and constitutional principles.
— ANI
Reader Comments
The point about Article 341(2) is very important. The Constitution allows for inclusion, but political will has been lacking for decades. I hope this Commission actually does its job properly instead of just making recommendations that gather dust.
I have a Christian friend from a Dalit background, and his family still faces discrimination in villages. The idea that converting changes your caste is a myth perpetuated by those who want to deny reservations. At least now there's some movement on this front.
While I support the cause, I think we need to be careful about how reservations are expanded. If Dalit Christians get SC status, shouldn't Dalit Muslims also be considered? The principle of social justice should apply equally across all religions.
Good to see BRS taking this up. Both TRS/BRS and YSRCP have been consistent on this issue in Telangana and Andhra. But the real test is whether the central government will act. 🤞
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