Author: Associated Press
Publication: Los Angeles Times
Date: December 26, 2003
URL: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-india26dec26,1,5307576.story
Introduction: Police guard church
after some Christians block others from a Christmas celebration.
Police were guarding a church in
southern India on Thursday after more than 250 lower-caste villagers who
converted to Christianity were barred from a Christmas Mass.
The villagers, known as Dalit Christians
after the lower-caste Hindu social group they once belonged to, were prevented
from attending midnight Mass at St. Ebiben's Church in Manjakuppam, in
southern Tamil Nadu state, about 1,100 miles south of New Delhi, by high-caste
converts, Father Christopher Rethinasamy said.
He said he was helpless to do anything
because he feared an outbreak of violence.
Dalits, also known as "untouchables"
because higher castes would traditionally refuse physical contact with
them, are at the bottom of India's ancient caste system.
Many of India's Christians, who
account for about 2% of the country's 1.02 billion population, have changed
their faith to escape the Hindu caste hierarchy.
The Dalit Christians were made to
wait an hour and half as Mass was conducted for the converts from the Vannia
community, who were formerly high-caste Hindus.
They were allowed entry an hour
after the ceremony ended, after police intervened and negotiated with church
authorities.
"I know it is against the teachings
of Jesus," Rethinasamy said. "But I had to go along with the decision of
the Vannia Christians. I did not want the situation to deteriorate."
About 50 police officers were posted
at the site to prevent any clashes, said a senior police official in the
area, Rajeev Kumar.
