CHRISTIAN DALITS demand ""End fraudulent conversions of Dalits and Tribals ====== R L Francis""""
ravimpillay
End fraudulent conversions of Dalits and Tribals
R L Francis
15 Sep 2008
The tragic turn of events in Kandhamal in Orissa once again highlights
the urgent need for church authorities to immediately halt the
fraudulent conversions of India’s Tribal and Dalit populace, which are
causing so much heart-burning and cultural anxiety.
[The Constitutional term for the latter group is Scheduled Caste, but
missionaries have coined and propagated the term ‘Dalit’ – Editor]
As the menace of conversions is perpetuated with the receipt of
foreign funds, the Poor Christian Liberation Movement (PCLM) has
steadfastly demanded that the church utilize all foreign funds
exclusively for the welfare and uplift of poor Christians who are
suffering from terrible discrimination within the community. Indeed,
this is the reason why PCLM has been petitioning the Government of
India not to appoint Bishops, priests and nuns to official Commissions
and Committees, and instead appoint ordinary Christians.
The church annually receives so much money that we want the Catholic
Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) and the National Christian Council
of India (NCCI) to set up a Rs. 1000 crore “Dalit Christian
Development Fund” to ensure the integrated social and economic
development of this huge populace that was lured to Christianity on
the promise of a better life.
Considering the confusion created by propagation activities in remote
areas, the PCLM demands that church authorities defer mass conversion
programmes for at least a century. It is our view that evangelism
cannot be a measurement of a society’s socio-economic development.
Rather, the evangelism programme funds should be utilized for the
welfare of Dalits and Tribals who have already been converted to
Christianity, and whose lot has not been improved by the church.
There should be reservation of seats for Dalit and Tribal Christians,
as well as other Dalits, in Church-run schools, colleges, technical
institutions and other vocational organizations. As of now, the
reality is that a handful of priests and bishops are monopolizing
Church funds and property in the country. This has led to sharp
deterioration of the conditions of neo-converted Christians who are
living in a pitiable condition, deprived of basic necessities.
Instead of worrying about their living conditions, the church
leadership is interested only in increasing the numbers of its flock.
Even worse, a large chunk of foreign funds are being utilized for
purchasing land and for the luxurious lifestyles of a few Christian
leaders in India. Bishops are monopolizing the Church estates and
treating it as their own property and are indulging in its sale-
purchase without the consent of the community.
The children of poor Dalit and Tribal Christians do not even complete
their primary education. None of the 40,000 educational institutions
run by the church give admission to the children of Dalit Christians.
This is the reason that in the last two decades many poor Christians
have gone back to Hinduism due to maltreatment by the church.
For this reason, some of us feel that the Government of India and the
Supreme Court should redefine minority educational institutions and de-
classify those Christian minority institutions which do not admit
Christian children. They should also be taxed as commercial ventures.
There is no case for caste-based reservations for the Christian
community in India, as this would institutionalize the discrimination
against the poor Christians and blight their future forever. The
teachings of Jesus Christ do not permit discrimination amongst his
followers. All Christians are born in the image of God. Hence, if the
Church in India pursues reservation for Christians on the basis of
caste, it must pay compensation to poor Christians converted to
Christianity in the past, for discrimination and oppression and false
promises.
The Government of India should also introduce special laws to protect
Church property and land that is currently being misused and sold by
vested interests.
We also feel that the Vatican must stop appointing bishops and must
follow the system in China. The Dalit and Tribal Christians must be
appointed to important positions in the institutions of the Catholic
Church. As the Church is the largest employer after the Government of
India, poor Christians should be given 50% job reservations in
Christian educational and medical institutions.
Above all, the church should not criticize other religions, as this
creates unnecessary ill-will. The time has come when pluralistic
societies must be accepted. Hence the focus on fraudulent conversion
and increasing the number of “rice Christians” does not serve the
faith. The Church should instead promote multi-culturalism and inter-
faith dialogue.
The author is convener, Poor Christian Liberation Movement (PCLM)
email : info @ vijayvaani [dot] com
fanabba
Thank you!