Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
New Delhi (Agenzia Fides) - It will be a fast that falls in a rare moment of political importance for religious minorities and for the whole Indian society: as reported to Fides by local sources, the Christians of India have announced that from 25 to July 27 the initiative of a national fasting in crowds is to bring to the attention of the government the age-old question of dignity and human rights, but also the social and economic promotion of the Dalits, the "outcasts", the mass of people (250 million) that are the lowest level of the social scale in India, in a society that - although has formally abolished the caste system - still lives and respects it in practice and even in social institutions.
Fasting is organized by the National Coordination Committee for Dalit Christians, NCCDC and the National Council of Dalit Christians, NCDC organizations which have involved a wide network of associations and Christian communities throughout the federal territory. For two days, Christians of all denominations will be on the street in New Delhi, fasting publically, and on July 28, at the conclusion of the event, there will be a symbolic march to the palace of India's federal Parliament.
The aim of the initiative is to ask, in particular, respect for constitutional rights, especially in the name of the principles of laity of the state and religious freedom for Dalits of Christian faith, who suffer further discrimination and are excluded from education and from ' access to many public services. To Dalit Christians, marked by the stigma of untouchability and prejudice, many opportunities are denied because of their faith.
For this reason Christian associations call for the revision of paragraph 3 of the Constitution (the so-called "Scheduled Castes Order"), so as to give equal opportunities of development, rights and protections for Dalit Christians and Muslims, compared to those of the Hindu religion, to which are granted guarantees and benefits for their social advancement, not recognized for Dalits of different religions. Christians urge the government of the Congress Party to "fulfill its constitutional obligations", speaking in this sense, because "it is a fundamental question of justice and equality".
The request will reach Parliament committed in the summer session work, in which the United Progressive Alliance (UPA), formed by the Congress Party and other minor partners, has already planned to approve certain very important measures for Indian society: a law on food security; one on land expropriation; the law against corruption and the law on inter-community violence, which gives powers to the central government to intervene in nation states (see Fides 27/5/2011 and following days). (PA) (Agenzia Fides 06/28/2011)
