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 privileged 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".