In the midst of this celebration we can be mindful of the more than three million Dalits -- formerly known as Untouchables -- who are Christian and Muslim and have no official status in India. Through the centuries Dalits have been treated as the lowest of the low in a caste system with little opportunity to lift themselves above poverty and social stigma.
Even in recent years there have been atrocities perpetrated against Dalits, including murder. According to an article published last year:
As per the statistics collected by the Centre for Dalit Studies, between the 26 years of 1994 and 2020, 17,835 Dalits were murdered, 44,506 Dalit women were raped by upper caste men and 85,219 people were victims of grievous injuries in attacks by people of upper castes. Many people were left disabled for life in these attacks.
During a local United Church presentation a few years ago I learned that many Dalits have converted to Christianity because of the acceptance they find in congregations but because they are no longer Hindu they are not afforded certain rights, as limited as they might be.
On this anniversary Prime Minister Narendra Modi has pledged to raise millions out of poverty and turn India into a developed country in the next quarter-century. Yet during the eight years of his premiership there have been strong concerns that human rights and religious freedom have been undermined.
Our prayer can be that all Dalits, including those who are Christians, will be accepted in Indian society and given the same opportunities for advancement.
Dalit Christians during Holy Week
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