By TCN News,
New Delhi: The All India Christian Council (AICC) has condemned Attorney General G.E. Vahanvati’s advice to the central government for not going ahead on the long-standing demand by Dalit Christians and Dalit Muslims for Scheduled Caste status currently enjoyed by only Hindus, Sikhs and Buddhists.
AICC Secretary General John Dayal has termed it as ominous and expressed deep concerned over an indefinite delay of equal rights for Christians and Muslims of Scheduled Caste origin.
According to media reports on Monday, the Attorney General advised the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs that the central government should not take decision on the demand at this stage because the issue is very complicated and has several ramifications.
The AG put his advise on Monday at the meeting of the Cabinet Committee comprising Prime Minister Manmohan Singh besides Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Home Minister P. Chidambaram, and Defence Minister A.K. Antony while Minority Affairs Minister Salman Khursheed was a special invitee at the meeting.
Notably, the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear a key case related to the issue on 24th Feb. 2011 and it expects the government to give its opinion on a challenge to Paragraph 3 of Article 341 of India’s Constitution (Scheduled Caste Order) 1950. More than dozen individuals and advocates, including Dalit Christians and Muslims, have joined the case. This case has seen numerous hearings and delays ever since early 2004.
The Centre for Public Interest Litigation, run by former Law Minister Shanti Bhushan and his son Prashant Bhushan, filed Writ Petition (Civil) No. 180 of 2004 in early 2004 on behalf of plaintiff Franklin Caesar. Para 3 of Article 341 has been described by Christians and Muslims as anti-Constitutional and “communalizing” the upliftment of the former untouchable groups who still remain the most economically and politically marginalized in India. The Supreme Court has repeatedly delayed a verdict because of the Union government’s inability to make up its mind on the matter despite repeated prodding by the court.
Link: http://www.christiancouncil.in/