THE DILEMMA OF CHRISTIAN DALITS

INTRODUCTION
Untouchability has been heavily stigmatized over time especially in India. India, the nation
known as the largest democracy in the world and the second most populated nation, also
accounts for the largest concentration of Hindus in the world. Indians have overlooked the
Constitution and considers more than 160 million people as ‘Untouchables’. The only fault of the
untouchables is that they are born in a family or a community that is treated with so much
discrimination and hatred. As India is striving so hard to improve its economy and infrastructure,
it constantly gets pulled back because of its social reality that is based on caste categorization.
Under the category of Untouchables which our so-called ‘literate society’ has categorized, there
is one category known as ‘Christian Dalits’. These are the low-caste people who converted
themselves to Christianity just because to overcome the discriminatory caste system and to seek
upward social and economic mobility. The Dalit groups which converted in mass were the
Chuhras of Punjab, Chamars of North India, Vankars of Gujarat, and Pulayas of Kerala. Over
42% of Indian Christians are Dalits, characterized thus by the greater societal practices of the
region they reside in. But no picture changed even after the conversion as, today, Dalit Christians
continue to face poverty and exploitation because of their low caste.

CONTEMPORARY CHALLENGES OF DALIT CHRISTIANS

In India, those Hindus who convert themselves to Christianity or any other religion pay a heavy
cost as they have to abandon every privilege which they had in the former caste-like government
benefits such as free college tuition, ration, and job opportunities. The Constitution of India
categorizes Dalits in the list of scheduled castes as the most marginalized communities that need
protection currently. Though, when converted to Christianity, these communities are left out
from these protective and favorable measures offered by the Government of India. Dalit
communities also have special protections under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe
(Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, and political reservation in various forums.
Indian Christians are alienated based on caste and ethnic identity and the legacy of caste
ideology has played the prime role to bear the difference among the Christians in India. Because
of the predominantly Hindu society, Dalits were harshly discriminated against due to the
prejudiced practice of caste discrimination from their prior traditions. The only acknowledged
change was their religious identity.
The forms of discrimination faced by Dalit Christians range from untouchability practices to
denial of equal rights in areas like employment and access to services such as health, drinking
water and sanitation, buying and selling in the markets.
Moving to the urban side, Dalits do not have land for cultivation or any other income-earning
assets. Therefore, they are dependent on upper castes for survival. The different forms of
discrimination from Hindus include unlike payments for the same work for Dalits Christians and
non-Dalits, non-payment of minimum wages, giving water and tea in separate glasses and cups,
harassments, remarks on caste, and subsequent atrocities.
The different forms of discrimination from the church include suppression of Dalit leaderships
and limited participation of Dalit Christians in non-religious areas such as education and
employment. In India, Dalit Christians have a majority in the Church which is more than 65 %,
yet they are dominated and disregarded by the upper caste Christians. They are called the ‘New
Christians’. The lives of Dalit Christians are miserable as they have been described as "twice
alienated," as they suffer discrimination both within the churches and in the community.1
In some frightening instances, discrimination has been expressed openly by building separate
cemeteries or dividing a cemetery into two sections. The more evident forms of discrimination
have now disappeared but more subtle forms of social isolation are stagnant.

DALIT THEOLOGY
It is a branch of Christian theology that arose among the Dalit caste in the Indian
subcontinent which shares some themes with liberation theology in the 1980s. This emphasized
the material needs of the Dalit Christians. In contrast, Dalit theology is a clear political theology
that seeks to reinterpret faith in terms of the experience of ordinary Dalit Christians. The global
perspective and explanation of the caste system promoted by Dalit activists are unified into Dalit
theology. The main emphasis of the theology is the rejection and elimination from caste society
that Dalits have experienced. The main theological accomplishment of this theology has been a
procedural one: it argues that Christian theology should be reconsidered from a Dalit perspective.

INADEQUATE LEGAL SAFEGUARDS AGAINST DISCRIMINATION

Since Dalit Christians do not fall under the category of Schedule Castes (SC), the legal
protections in case of discrimination and untouchability are not extended to them no matter how
much they have to face just because of their caste. The prevailing legal safeguards against
discrimination for SCs under Untouchability (Offences) Act, 1955; the Protection of Civil Rights
Act, 1976; the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989
and the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act Rules, 1995
are not functional to Dalit Christians. The above Acts secures SCs & STs against various forms
of violence and discriminations such as depriving facilities; denial of rights; eviction; economic
exploitation; personal attack and exploitation including insulting, intimidating harassment and
dishonoring, and heinous criminal activities including rape, molestation, murder, and massacre.
Yet, Dalit Christians are unable to seek protection from the state against these under any of these
Acts.
1
K. Wilson, The Twice Alienated: Culture of Dalit Christians (Hyderabad: Book links Corporation, 1982).
As we are well aware of the fact that the practice of untouchability is illegal as well as immoral,
obedience with the law is never definite and those who face any form of untouchability fear to
take up cases against perpetrators linked to the more powerful caste groups in a given locality.
Though there has been some change in social attitudes still untouchability remains a problem for
most Dalits regardless of their religious persuasion.

CONCLUSION
It is quite evident in the social science literature that Dalit Christians still have to face
discrimination based on caste by the upper caste Christians and the society including caste
Hindus, church institutions. The principal objective of the constitution of India is to achieve
equality and provide justice to all its citizens regardless of any discrimination based on caste,
class, religion, religion, etc. It is a natural right of every individual by virtue of their birth to be
treated equally, live with dignity, and free from any kind of discrimination. The act to refute
Dalit Christians from their benefits which they have the full right to enjoy is unconstitutional and
discriminatory. It is high time now that we should raise the bar of our thoughts, bring some
reforms and abide by the Constitution of India.