Dalit Christians seek SC status, stage protest in Khammam

Khammam Catholic diocese bishop Sagili Prakash along with other priests, nuns and the diocese members offered prayers at the Collectorate, later paid tribute to BR Ambedkar's statue at ZP centre and staged a dharna in support of the demand.

Khammam: A prayer meeting, protest was staged here on Saturday seeking Scheduled Caste (SC) status to Dalit Christians.

Khammam Catholic diocese bishop Sagili Prakash along with other priests, nuns and the diocese members offered prayers at the Collectorate, later paid tribute to BR Ambedkar’s statue at ZP centre and staged a dharna in support of the demand.

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Bishop Prakash addressing the gathering said that SC status was given to dalits who embraced Sikh, Jain and Buddhist faiths through the 1950 President’s Order paragraph 3. But the same privilege was extended to Christians who have adopted the religion and it was a violation of the Constitution.

Religious freedom should be upheld and the injustice being meted out to dalit Christians should be redressed. Dalits in any religion were still being kept away from the village as untouchables and were being subjected to oppression and lacked educational and social equality, he said.

Hence the Dalit Christian Bill should be introduced in the current Parliament session itself. The recommendation of the justice Ranganath Commission should be implemented. Paragraph 3 of the Presidential Order 1950 which violates the fundamental rights of the Constitution of India should be deleted, the bishop demanded.

Seeking SC status to Dalit Christians was a fair demand and everyone concerned should support the cause, he added. Priests Sebastian, M Raju, Tappeta Shourie, Bathula Jayaraju, a nun Sundari, community leaders M Prasad, Kommu Prasad, Pilli Sundari and others were present.