Granting Scheduled Caste (SC) Status To Dalit Christians:
The Union Government established a commission, led by former Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan, to explore the possibility of granting Scheduled Caste (SC) status to Dalit Christians.
- The Tamil Nadu Assembly passed a resolution to amend the 1950 Presidential (SC) order to include them.
- The Justice Ranganath Misra Commission (2007) and studies by Deshpande and Bapna (2008) favoured extending reservation benefits to Dalit Christians.
- Hindu Dalits converted to Christianity to escape caste-based discrimination but haven’t achieved the expected equality due to lingering social hierarchies.
- The article highlights the need to recognize the unique struggles of Dalit Christians through the “Theory of Intersectionality,” which considers multiple forms of oppression like race, gender, and religion intersecting.
- The term “Dalit Christians” reflects a distinct identity, challenging the misconception that conversion erases caste discrimination.
- The legal framework’s focus on single-axis categorization has led to exclusion, and amending the SC list through the 1950 order is proposed as a solution.
