By TwoCircles.net staff reporter
New Delhi: Article 341 of the Indian Constitution should be amended to provide reservation to Dalit Muslims and Dalit Christians as it has been provided to Dalit Sikhs and Buddhists. The Ranganath Mishra Commission Report should be tabled in the Parliament. These demands were made by secretary of Jamiat Ulama-e Hind, Maulana Abdul Hameed Nomani and president of the Dalit Muslim Christian Federation, Father Solomon George.
Addressing a joint press conference on 13th February in New Delhi, Fr George and Maulana Nomani said the Supreme Court directive to the Union government regarding reservation for Dalit Muslims and Dalit Christians was an important step towards social justice. As the National Scheduled Caste Commission has also favoured reservation to them, the Union government should begin the procedure to bring them in the ambit of reservation, they said.
Maulana Nomani said the Justice Ranganath Mishra Commission Report, submitted to the central government seven months ago, also supported reservation to Dalit Muslims and Dalit Christians. He described as biased the 1950 presidential ordinance which robs a Dalit of reservation if he embraces Islam or Christianity and revokes this facility if he reconverts to Hindu religion.
The religious leaders said social status does not get changed because of conversion, and, therefore, the facility of reservation should be provided to Dalit Muslims and Dalit Christians by amending the Constitution.