Madurai: Observing August 10 as a black day, dozens of Dalit Christians have registered their protest against not providing reservations to Non-Hindu Dalits. Hindustan Times reports that over 50 Dalit Christians on Wednesday staged a protest near Clock Tower in Dindigul demanding Scheduled Caste status.
The Christian Dalits have raised slogans against the Presidential Order of 1950 that holds only Dalits who professed the Hindu faith could be treated as SC. Dindigul diocese Vicar General Father Sahayaraj who was leading the protest has demanded the extension of the SC status to the Non-Hindu Dalits also.
“The demand has been on since the 1950s. What is our birthright – the status of SC/ST – cannot be taken away from us just because we have converted to Christianity,” said Dindigul diocese SC/ST commission secretary Fr Thomas John Peter.
The protestors demanded the discrimination based on religion to end and amendments to the order.
Similar protests were held over 18 cities across the State including Madurai, Tiruchi, Sivaganga, Chennai, Coimbatore, Salem, Thoothukudi, Udhagamandalam, he added.
