Church backs demand for treating caste as race in Indian context

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, JULY 11. The church has identified itself with the demand made by Dalit organisations in the country to treat caste as race in the Indian context and allow them to officially highlight caste-based discrimination being experienced here at the UN-organised World Conference on Racism and Racial Discrimination at Durban in South Africa from August 31 to September 2.

Rev. Fr. Lourdu Swamy, secretary of the SC, ST and OBC Commission attached to the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI), the highest policy-making body in the Catholic church with all the 200 odd bishops in the country as its members, and Rev. Fr. A. X. J. Bosco, a former Provincial of the Society of Jesus and now working among the Dalits in Andhra Pradesh, were among the leaders of different Dalit organisations which adopted resolutions after day-long deliberations here today at Satyodayam, the SJ State headquarters, formally asking the Union Government to officially introduce the subject at the Durban meeting.

The deliberations were participated in by Dr James Massey, former member, National Commission on Minorities, Mr M. Charles Wesley, convener of the State unit of the National Campaign for Dalit Human Rights (NCDHR), Mr Sleeva Galleli, convener, Dalit Christian Front, Prof K. Ilaiah of Osmania University, Mr Bennet Benjamin, chairman, South India Dalit Solidarity People, Mrs B.M. Leela Kumari, Dalit Women's Literary Parishad, Mr P. Chennaiah, general secretary, Andhra Pradesh Vyavasaya Vruthidarula Union, and Mr V. P. Rao, convener, CHATRI, an NGO.

At a press conference later, they blamed the Union Government for turning a blind eye to untouchability being practised virulently by upper castes all over the country. They demanded that at least now in the light of the nationwide protest, the Government should give up its official stand that caste was not race and instead work for projecting the problem at the UN forum. They said they were all planning to attend the Durban meeting unofficially and some of them even secured the relevant permission.

Meanwhile, Mr N. Paul Diwakar, national secretary, NCDHR, received a communication from the UN Liaison Officer for NGOs at Geneva, Mrs Laurie Wiseberg, saying that the UN body would invite Dalit leaders from the country, to the meeting of the Prominent Citizens' Group of the UN formed with Mr Nelson Mandela and others. This meeting is being held on August 3 and 4 to enable these leaders to project their views on the subject as a precursor to the Durban meeting.

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