By Md. Ali, TwoCircles.net,
New Delhi: In a sign of political trouble for the Congress party ahead of the UP elections, several Christian and Muslim organizations have come together against what they see as “unjust” government at the center. Hundreds of Dalit Christians and Dalit Muslims staged a hunger strike on Wednesday at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, against the “discriminatory” Constitutional order (Schedule Caste Order of 1950, paragraph 3 of Indian Constitution), which bars Scheduled Caste status to Christians and Muslims of Scheduled Caste origin.
In order to pressurize the UPA government and show their strength, which will also be a political warning to the Congress, thousands of dalit Muslims and dalit Christians are expected to organize a mammoth rally at the Ram Leela ground tomorrow. It is expected to be addressed by several political leaders. The fact that the Dalit groups have increased their demand just before the UP elections shows that they are in no mood to relent.
Organizations belonging to these two disgruntled groups like National Coordination Committee for Dalit Christians (NCCDC), All India Pasmanda Muslim Mahaz and several others have been leading a massive campaign since last six decades against what they term as “communal’ and “discriminatory” order. Because of this Constitutional order, linking SC status with religion, reservation and other rights and privileges have been denied to Christians and Muslims from SC origin.
During the three day hunger strike (25th to 27th July), activists from Christians as well as Muslim organizations, slammed the present political dispensation at the center, the Congress led UPA government, for not providing the SC status to Dalit Muslims and Christians.
Several constitutional bodies and national level commissions like National Commission for Scheduled Castes, National Commission for Minorities, Justice Ranganath Mishra Commission, have said that the Schedule Caste Order of 1950, paragraph 3 of Indian Constitution has to be deleted by appropriate legal means, informed Aariz
“We are sitting here on fast to demand from the Congress government to delete that discriminatory provision from the Indian Constitution and facilitate what is the due right of the dalit Christians and dalit Muslims,” added Aariz Mohammad from Center for Social Justice who is also sitting on hunger strike.
Roger Gaikwad and Prof. Mary John from NCCDC, Mujtaba Farooque from Welfare party of India, and several other speakers highlighted the fact that most of the political parties have extended their support for SC status to dalit Muslims and dalit Christians and have written to the Prime Minister asking him to delete the Constitutional Order of 1950 through proper legal means.
Those political parties include BSP, LJP, DMK, AIADMK, CPI, CPI (M), NCP, Janata Dali (Secular), Janata Dal (United) Shiromani Akali Dal, TDP, Trinamool Congress, YSR Congress and several other regional political players.
One petition regarding the deletion of the “discriminatory” Constitutional Order is pending in the Supreme Court. It’s pending in the Apex court because the SC has been asking from the central government to file its stand on the issue but the Center has repeatedly been postponing the matter by asking for more time from the court.
Dalit groups both in Muslim and Christians have become frustrated and angry at this dilly dallying attitude of the Congress led UPA. They have popularly announced that they are now going to make their demand an electoral issue and only that political party which promises to ensure them SC status, will get their votes.