BANGALORE: For the first time the Christians of Bangalore made themselves bold and took to the streets to demand reservations to Scheduled Caste coverts to Christianity who form about 80% of their population. But it was a halfhearted show and clearly proved their divided loyalty and the confusion in their minds, Both at the Aug. 18 dharna and later at the Aug 20 public meeting here they were displaying the portraits of M.K. Gandhi and Babasaheb Ambedkar side by side. When this writer pointed out this serious contradiction, a leader of the SC Christians admitted the mistake but said the church wanted it that way. But the church should know that the reservations to SC Christians were being denied at the instance of Gnadhiwadis while the Ambedkarites were supporting their just struggle. Both at the Dharma and public meeting we could see some Ambedkarites but not a single “Gandhian”. Yet the lambs go on worshiping the very wolf that was eating them.

  1. Patrick of the Dalit Sahitya Academy and himself a Dalit Christian told an organizer that the Christians had no right to ask the Govt, for reservations when Christians institutions itself provided no reservation to SC or even SC Christians. If the church decided today to stop giving admissions to non-Christians in Christian educational institutions the Govt would bend tomorrow and give reservations of SC Christians. This was because the upper caste rulers of India were sending their children to only Christian convents. But the church was not prepared to take this unpleasant decision because the church ‘was controlled by the upper caste Christians. With such serious internal contradictions, how could the church show its face?

Buddhist Converts: Christians are supposed to be the “most well educated” people but they don’t know the simple truth that once SC Christians were given reservations, it would open the flood gates to conversions and the Hindus would lose their free and loyal labour. When the Hindus could refuse reservations to the more power full Dalit Buddhists would they care for the meek Christians?

Chaddi Party Rumour: Meanwhile, the Hindu Nazis have sent 2,000 trained chaddi boys to spread rumours that the Christians demand for reservations would badly hurt the SC/ST reservations. These chaddi boys have been instructed to approach different SC/ST organizations and brainwash the key leaders against SC Christians so that brothers would fight brothers.

The Dalit Christians are not demanding reservations out of the SC/ST quota. They have made it clear that Dalit Christians should get reservations in proportion to their populations outside the SC/ST quota. But the national newspaper dominated by Nazi Journalists have suppressed this fact so that non converted SC/ST organizations get prejudiced against Dalit Christians,

The official organ of the RSS, Organizer (July 30) has a screening headline: Christians bid to cut into concessions for Haijans” A survey made in Bangalore revealed that most of the top Nazi leaders send their children to Christian convents. When asked why they seek Christian shelter when they are charging the church with anti-national work, they have no answer.

The Organizer report says: “The ABKM, RSS National Executive, has viewed with grave concern the increasing pressure mounted by the Christian Church for extension of the special concessions available to the SCs to the Christian converts also. In recent past, they have held several demonstrations led by Bishops and Archbishops and submitted memoranda to the heads of different states. At some places, even Central and State Christians Minister, including a few Chief Ministers have joined this campaign. The Chief Ministers of Kerala and Tamil Nadu have viewed this demand and assured support for their own narrow political ends, it said. Amply funded by foreign monies and already armed with minority rights, it is obvious that the motive lying underneath this move is to further induce the weaker sections into the Christian fold. Our constitution makers had clearly laid down the provision with respect of the SCs, specially underlining the historical, social and religious background for their backwardness and discrimination in the Hindu society. It is clear that these concessions if extended to non-Hindus would considerably be eaten up by the Christian converts and the already backwardness would be reduced to further backwardness the Organizer said.

Indianising the Church:  SC Christians are not asking for a cut in SC quota. While the Hindu Nazis are all out to squeeze the church, the upper caste church leadership is refusing to utter one word condemning the Nazis, In a National center established by the Catholic Church in Bangalore, Christian priests are being trained in Hindu rituals. When asked, the national center authorities say what they are teaching is how to indianize the church. But in the name of “Indianising” they are actually hinduising or brahminising the church.

Article extracted from this publication >>  October 13, 1989