K.P. Yohannan says Christians will continue ministering to Dalits

Contact: Taun Cortado, 800-946-2742

NEW DELHI, India, July 24 /Christian Newswire/ -- India's Supreme Court has once again postponed making a decision in a case involving the equal rights of Dalit ("Untouchable") Christians during a July 19 hearing in New Delhi, India. The justices also questioned the motives of Christians who support the change in the law, alleging that by supporting the cause of the Dalits, Christians in India are admitting that they practice caste-based discrimination.

The court required that a government committee assigned to study the issue appear before the bench for another hearing in eight weeks. They are charged with providing additional information and asked to clearly spell out the government's stand on the issue.

"The Bible teaches us that all people are created in the image of God and all are equal in His sight," said K.P. Yohannan, Gospel for Asia president and founder. "That is why Christians are working to help Dalits escape from the oppressive caste system that has kept them in virtual slavery for over 3,000 years.

"But this delay does give us another opportunity to pray. Literally millions of Christian Dalits are seeking for an end to their grinding poverty, and I ask Christians around the world to intercede on their behalf."

The case before the court, filed in 2004 by India's Center for Public Interest Litigation, seeks an amendment to a 57-year-old law that restricts Dalit Christians from participating in India's reservation system. The system, which sets aside a certain percentage of government jobs and college enrollment slots for Dalits, was implemented in 1950 shortly after the caste system was officially outlawed. Reservations were originally open only to Dalits who remained in the Hindu faith. The law was amended to extend benefits to Buddhist and Sikh Dalits, but has never been updated to include Christian or Muslim Dalits. At present, Dalits from Hindu, Buddhist or Sikh backgrounds lose their benefits when they become Christians.

The justification for excluding Christians from the ruling has been that the caste system was part of the Hindu religion, and therefore only applied to those still in that faith. However, the practice of caste discrimination is so ingrained in the Indian social structure that it still rules daily life regardless of religion.

Therefore, Dalits-whether they are Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Muslim or Christian—are still subject to inhumane treatment. They are only allowed to work in the most degrading jobs—such as collecting human waste, handling dead bodies or cleaning up garbage. Dalit children are often deprived of an education, so their outward circumstances have little chance of ever changing, regardless of what faith they are part of.

"While Indian society may still look upon Dalit people as outcastes, God loves each and every one of them," Dr. Yohannan said. "We want them to know this truth and we welcome all people, including Dalits, to worship and follow Him."

Promising Signs

While this case has crawled through the court system, there have been a few promising signs. On May 14, the National Commission on Minority Religion and Linguistics submitted a report to the court recommending that Christian Dalits be allowed to receive benefits from the reservation system. The Indian prime minister has referred the commission's report to the country's National Commission for Scheduled Castes for closer examination and comment. Social justice organizations, as well as Christian groups, are rallying behind the case, pushing the court to rule in favor of the Dalits. People who already qualify for reservation benefits have protested any change in the law.

"While we would like to see the laws amended so they are equitable to all Dalits, we know that a law only has a limited ability to change someone's life," Dr. Yohannan said. "God's love brings everyone true freedom."

GFA leaders in India ask for continued prayer for the case. They ask specifically for prayers that people would see the light of Jesus shining through in the lives of Indian Christians and that Dalits would continue to find a safe haven in Christian churches in the country.

Dr. K.P. Yohannan is available for interviews. To schedule, please call Taun Cortado at 1-800-946-2742 or email at: taunc@gfa.org