ICC Note:
As Christian persecution continues to increase in India, millions of Christians coming from India’s lowest caste already face discrimination and persecution at the hands of the Indian government. As a initiative to help people coming from the lower castes, India’s government has extended benefits to these people in the areas of employment, education and government. However, these benefits are not extended to low caste people who call themselves Christians because the government only gives these benefits to Hindus, Buddhists and Sikhs. This choice India’s government is forcing millions to make is a denial of religious freedom and should be considered persecution.
1/2/2015 India (Christian Today) – More than 25 million Christians Indians who are members of the country’s lowest caste group, are reportedly suffering persecution from the government.
In the report, the Christians are members of the ‘dalit’ group who are reportedly being given the option to choose between their belief in Jesus Christ or the ability to get government benefits.
The ‘dalit’ Indians were once called the ‘untouchables’ during the British occupation. These Indians have since been receiving benefits from the government.
However, the Scheduled Caste Order of 1950 has allowed the government to use religion as a basis to whether it would provide benefits to the ‘dalit’ or not.
According to the report by International Christian Concern, the order has greatly affected religious freedom in the country.
“After their conversion, Dalit Christians begin to suffer religious persecution from religious fanatics but also a denial of Scheduled Caste benefits because of the Schedule Caste Order of 1950, which I term a double discrimination of Dalit Christians”, said Rev. Madhu Chandra Singh, a Baptist Church elder.
Franklin Caesar, a Christian activist said that the system is ‘against the fundamental rights provided to all India’s citizens in the Constitution’.
…
