HVK Archives: Bishop, mend thyself - On Dalit Christians
Bishop, mend thyself - On Dalit Christians - Organiser
Joseph Pulikkunnel
()
12 January 1997
Title : Bishop, mend thyself! - On Dalit Christians
Author : Joseph Pulikkunnel
Publication : Organiser
Date : January 12, 1997
Shri Joseph Pulikkunnel, the eminent scholar and Director of Indian Institute
of Christian Studies, is known for his maverick views on social issues
especially those pertaining to Christianity. He has sent us a copy of his
"Open Letter to the Protesting Bishops". In this letter he unveils the
duplicity of Bishops and the chemistry behind their demand for reservations
for the so-called Dalit Christians. "It was with the false hope of an
egalitarian status within the 'Christian community. that once "depressed
classes" (Dalits) agreed to convert to Christianity " Pointing an accusing
finger towards the clergy for the so-called Christian Dalits' oppression he.
writes, "You are playing politics with the poor Christian 'Dalits'."
Following is the text of his letter.
Dear Bishops,
It is reported in the newspapers that your Graces, and Lordships have
graciously comedown to the earth in New Delhi, in a protest, march for equal
rights for "Dalit" Christians. I am happy to know from media photos that many
of you, clad in Roman royal dress, thereby distinguishing yourself from the
common people, graced the occasion with a Royal touch. It is heartening to
know that at least now, Your Lordships have learned that there are "Dalits"
in the Christian community. "Dalits" mean persons who are being persecuted
and oppressed.
When your Graces And Lordships, and your predecessors converted Dalits from
the Hindu Society, the main attraction offered to them was that there was no
caste discrimination in the Christian society and that they would be treated
equally as brothers in Christ. It was with this false hope of an egalitarian
status within the Christian community that the poor Dalits converted
themselves to Christianity. If they are still dalits, the question is who has
been oppressing them of late.
It is true that when they were in the Hindu society they were oppressed by,
the caste system that existed in that society. But, was it not a solemn
pledge before God and man that these converted Christians would be looked
after without any discrimination and with Christian love and sharing?
When the father of the Constitution provided for the Dalits' reservation
Hindus, who formed the vast majority, of the population, accepted in
principle the reservation for Dalits. They were surrendering the equality of
opportunity enshrined in the Constitution in favour of the, Dalits, as a
compensation for the ill-treatment their forefathers did to that community.
Here it may be remembered that this charitable disposition was not shown by
the white Christians towards the black Christians in America.
If there are Dalits in the Christian community the responsibility to
compensate for their oppression is vested in you, for your, hierarchy itself
was responsible for ordering and maintaining the social discrimination in the
Christian community.
The question is whether you addressed yourself in the past to the problems of
the converted Christians-your "beloved" sheeps-who had been living for more
than 100 years as Christians? If you make a solemn heart search you can see
that you have done practically nothing for their uplift. If you look into
the yearly income of all the dioceses, parishes, monasteries and convents of
India, that would be equal to the budget amount of any state in India.
Perhaps this is a random estimation, because nobody knows your real income,
as it is a well guarded secret. If you were to set apart 10% of your annual
income, internal and foreign, for the newly converted Christians, I am mm all
of them would be having a good house and funds for education. If you were to
reserve just 20% of the job opportunities in your institutions that are
protected by minority rights, I am sure 10 years all educated "Dalit" could
be provided with jobs.
You are today lavishing the jobs in minority institutions to the nuns and
priests who are previlaged and seldom to newly converted Christians. You are
running these schools under the protection of the minority rights as per
Article 30 of the constitution. Under this article the rights are conferred
on the whole community with the sole purpose of protecting the culture of the
community under Article 29. But you are running these institutions without
any reference to the community; there are no elected representatives of the
community to sit on the Managing Boards of the Christian educational
institutions, while the community pay for its establishments. There is no
control over you by the Government either. So, presently the educational
institutions are run m the name of Christian community, without reference to
the community, by a microscopic minority, ie, you and your priests and nuns,
who belong to the upper class strata of Christian society.
You, who protest and fight against the government are averse to the idea of
anybody representing their grievances you. When a group of "Dalits" and
others who wanted to present a memorandum to you at the conference of the All
India Bishops held in Vadavathoor, Kottayam, Kerala a few years back you
called in police protection.
If converted Christians are "Dalits" today, certainly you are the oppressors.
You cannot reasonably put the blame on anybody else. Had you ever cared for
their economic uplift with the huge amount of money at your command, they
would never have been an oppressed
lot.
By presenting your royalties in Delhi you have belittled Jesus our Lord and
his teachings. Christ preached the gospel for the poor. In heralding the
gospel Jesus said : "The Sprit of the Lord is upon me, because he has
anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim
release to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at
liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord"
(Luke 4 : 18, 19).
You, who were commissioned by Jesus our Lord to set at liberty, those who are
oppressed have been perpetuating oppression in the Christian social milieu.
Christ had identified with the down trodden and lived with them sharing their
pains, sorrows and agony. But have you ever thought of sharing these with the
down trodden brothers, who were the victims of caste system and opted for
Christ?
You were more interested, in the number game increasing the number of
Christians in the census reports. Accusing the pharasees Christ said : "They
bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they
themselves will not move them with their finger. They do all their deeds to
be seen by men; for, they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes
long, and they love the place of honour at feats and the best seats m the
synagogues, and salutations in the market places, and being called rabbi by
men" (Mathew 23: 4-7, "15").
You converted the Dalits by pouring water on their heads and now you wash
your hands of the responsibilities and recommend the mercy of the state,
bailing them out with the Hindu Dalits. You have taken over the condemned
leprosy of caste system on the Christian society and unashamedly own it. You
are playing politics with the poor Christian "Dalits". You know by your
muscle power and vote-bank mechanism can obtain concession from the
government by creating social tension in India; you are using your money
power to that end. You are playing the same game the Pharasees did during the
time of Lord Jesus. The Son of man is shouting at you, "blind guides".
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