Thousands of India's Dalits, upset over India's Hindu caste system and recent anti-conversion laws, are pledging to convert to Christianity in December.
The Dalits are angered that their humanity is being denied, and to escape from the clutches of the Hindu caste system tens of thousands of them are pledging to embrace Christianity on December 6th, the anniversary of the rest of Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar.
A Dalit himself, Dr. Ambedkar earned doctor's degrees at Columbia University and London School of Economics and was chiefly responsible for the drafting of India's consbreastution. He is much beloved by the Dalits as a human rights advocate who fought for their emancipation in the first half of the 20th century. He left Hinduism and embraced Buddhism two months before he died in 1956.
Dr. Joseph D'souza, president of the All India Christian Council, told Christian Aid that this conversion event will be unlike the one a year ago. Whereas last year most of the Dalits who left Hinduism switched to Buddhism, this time their first profession of choice is Christianity, although some of them will switch to other religions. D'souza said the member churches of the AICC "will always keep the doors open to the Dalits--no matter what the price."
The mbutt conversion will be a public ceremony. Thousands of Christian pastors and leaders plan to be on hand to witness the conversion, as also will be members of the media, political leaders and international observers.
The proposed mbutt conversion is a reaction to the anti-conversion laws now in effect in four states, including Tamil Nadu's ordinance that went into effect on October 31. Tamil Nadu's chief minister, Miss J. Jayalalitha, has done her best to cultivate the patronage of the right-wing Hindu political and social elements, and her end of the anti-conversion ordinance brought a new wave of persecution against Dalit Christians.
In the state of Haryana five Dalit youths were skinning a dead cow on October 15, which they had legal license to do; it is the trade of their caste. Suddenly they were attacked by a mob of several thousand people and lynched while the police reportedly stood by and supported the killings. While the AICC and many human rights groups condemned the barbaric killings, Mr. Giriraj Kishore, leader of the VHP (World Hindu Council), reportedly celebrated the killings by saying that the cow was more valuable than a human being (i.e. Dalit).
The Dalits in Haryana protested publicly and announced that they were revolting from the Hindu socio-religious system and would embrace other faiths on Sunday, October 27. On that date 500 leaders of various Dalit groups gathered at Gurgaon, Haryana. Some embraced Christianity, some Buddhism, and some Islam.
One couple, both bank officers, was publicly welcomed into the Christian faith as representing others in the area who wanted to embrace Christianity. When questioned by the media, one of them replied, "I do not want to be treated less than an animal any more. I am sick of the caste system. I have read about Jesus Christ and know that He offers equality, dignity and salvation. I want to follow Him as my Lord."
"The anti-conversion ordinance...is anti-Dalit, anti-Christian and anti-minority," said Dr. D'souza. "Its agenda is to carry forward the extremist Hindu agendas of the BJP government and extremist Hindu groups who want to create a Hindu India and impose Brahminism on all its citizens." The BJP is the current political party in power.
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