Karnataka govt ‘non-committal’ on bringing Dalit converts under SC ambit

The Congress-ruled Karnataka did not take any position before the Justice K G Balakrishnan Commission on whether or not Dalit converts to Christianity or Islam should be brought under the ambit of reservation and other benefits extended to Scheduled Castes.

The Commission was in Karnataka for a 2-day consultation exercise this week.

The state government is “uncommitted” over the issue, a top official in the Social Welfare department told DH. 

Karnataka may defer taking a stance by pointing out that Dalit Christians and Muslims are already getting reservation under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category.

States like Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu have already adopted the stand that Dalits converts should get Scheduled Caste reservation. 

“The state provides 4 per cent reservation under Category 2-B while Muslims (Dalit) can also avail OBC quota benefits under two other categories — 17 Muslim communities listed in Category-1 and 19 in Category 2-A. Christians and Jains are categorised in Category 3-B,” the source explained.

“There is a debate going on at the government level about whether there is a need for bringing Dalit converts as Muslims and Christians under the Scheduled Caste category. Karnataka was one of the earliest states in the country to bring Muslims and Christians under OBC. Therefore, the state government has not made any submission in this regard to the Justice Balakrishnan Commission,” multiple sources from BCW and Social Welfare departments confirmed to DH.

Karnataka Dalit Christian Federation convener Dr Manohar Chandra Prasad said that the fight to avail SC reservation should be seen in the national context. “Most of the neo-Christians are embracing Christianity in Tribal and Dalit dominated areas across the country and in the state, too. These communities practice Christianity, but they still stick to their roots as they do not want to shed family connections. They continue to face discrimination even after they embrace Christianity,” he said.

“Lately, harassment by extreme Hindu organisations is on the rise. Even if they gather for the mass of simple prayer meet, their houses get vandalised and attacked. Therefore, the need of the hour is for Dalit Christians to be included in SC reservation so that they get security as well as political representation like Hindu, Buddhist and Sikhs are getting,” Prasad explained. 

According to a paper by the Centre for Study of Social Exclusion and Inclusive Policy, NLSIU, apart from language, the home-grown divisive factor in the Indian church is caste. The study also stated that more than half of the total Christian population in India and in Karnataka are Dalits.