Dalit Christains' Convention at Chennai
Dalit Christians Liberation Movement (DCLM) of Tamil Nadu has organised a rally and convention to move the government to understand the plight of the dalit Christians and include them in MBC (Most Backward Classes). Thanks to the hard work of Dr.Mary John, the President of DCLM and Dalit Arockiadoss, the General Secretary of DCLM for their efforts in organising this convention with a great success. Here is report about the convention in the National News Paper.
Thanks to Hindu News Paper: 15th Feb 2001
CM's assurance on Dalit Christians' plea By Our Special Correspondent CHENNAI, FEB. 14.
In a pre-poll message to the minorities, the Dalit Christians in particular, the DMK president and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, Mr. M. Karunanidhi, today declared that his party will not be found wanting in fulfilling their just aspirations. In his special address to the "Dalit Christians Social Justice Conference-2001'' here this evening, Mr. Karunanidhi said, the DMK will sympathetically consider their `reasonable demand' to include their community in the Most Backward Classes (MBC) list for the purpose of reservation. Presently, Dalit Christians are in the BC list. Stating that their plea to be included in the MBC list will be placed before the State Backward Classes Commission for its consideration, Mr. Karunanidhi said, "this announcement should hopefully figure in the next Budget (after the elections) which I should be able to present with your mandate''. On their other main demand that Dalit converts to Christianity should be treated on a par with the Scheduled Castes (SC) for the purpose of reservation in educational institutions and Government employment, Mr. Karunanidhi said, the State will continue to press the Government of India and the Prime Minister to concede this long-pending demand, as it was a decision that had to be taken by the Centre.Mr. Karunanidhi also assured that the DMK MPs in Parliament, along with their allies including the MDMK led by Mr. Vaiko, will continue to voice this demand of the Dalit Christians, to impress upon the Centre to confer all benefits of SCs' to Dalit converts to Christianity.Asserting that the State Government was doing everything possible to ameliorate their difficulties, he said that it was the earlier DMK Government in 1974 which passed a G.O. making the BC category reservation facility applicable to all generations of Dalit Christians. Earlier, this facility was restricted to the first generation of the Dalit converts to Christianity, Mr. Karunanidhi said, adding that he had removed that restriction. Further, all concessions extended to the `Adi Dravidars' for their socio-economic betterment like interest-free loans, free houses and the like, have already been extended to Dalit Christians in Tamil Nadu, Mr.Karunanidhi said. Leaders of the Christian Clergy including Bishop Ezra Sargunam, Dr.Aruldoss James, Bishop of Madras, and Mr.Vaiko were among those who participated in the conference.
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