A resolution has been passed in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly appealing to the Central government that ‘Scheduled Caste Christians’ be provided the benefits of reservations despite converting out of the Hindu faith.
Andhra Pradesh assembly has passed a unanimous resolution appealing to central govt to consider members of SC community, who converted to Christianity, as belonging to their original caste only and apply reservations accordingly.
— ANI (@ANI) February 6, 2019
The resolution was proposed by Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu. He said that ‘Dalit Christians’ had been fighting for reservations for decades and that their demand was justifiable. He said that ‘Dalit Christians’ should be treated on par with Dalit converts to Sikhism and Buddhism. The resolution was also supported by BJP MLAs in the Assembly.
The secular establishment has always propagated the idea that the Caste System is exclusive to Hinduism and ‘Eminent Historians’ have peddled the narrative that ‘lower castes’ converted to Abrahamic faiths due to the discrimination faced by them in the Hindu fold. It was also claimed the Abrahamic alternative was egalitarian and free of such discrimination.
Under such circumstances, even the term ‘Dalit Christians’ is an oxymoron as there is no concept of Castes in Christianity. Amusingly enough, even the leaders of the Christian community who target the Hindu faith over the caste system have often demanded reservations for Christians on the basis of their caste.
It appears to be little more than appeasement tactics by one of the new darlings of the ‘Secular establishment’ ahead of the General Elections later this year. The resolution, however, is nonbinding on the Centre.
