Dear All / Dr. Sikand We are revisiting the debate about Dalit Christians. Caste hierarchy is a basic organizing principle in Hindu society and people who have converted to Christianity and Islam, more often than not, remain within the same social structure and its embedded hierarchies, arguably along a purity pollution axis. It is true that Islam and Christianity would have sanctions against caste based hierarchies. It is equally true that even a consciously controlled, church-driven religion works within a cultural context, and that therefore, followers of Christian churches and of Islam do not, just by virtue of the faith they profess, have the leverage to opt out of organic hierarchies. Hinduism is not an organized religion and its sharpest definition would perhaps make it a residual category. It would perhaps be correct to say that Christians and Muslims in India belong to a Hindu social order. In fact, in parts of India Christian churches draw their flock from, and are organized upon caste affiliations. An honest approach to the problem of caste inequity would have to include, in the discourse of caste and the praxis of social justice, those among the Muslims and Christians marginalized and deprivileged by caste. Arnab Sen
reasoning is parochial and flawed. Since Islam and Christianity do not recognise genetic based caste distinctiveness, then why should dalit converts to Islam and Christianity receive benefits under the existing SC/ST schemes? These previleges are exclusively reserved for Hindu dalits who fall under the Hindu caste categories and who've been since centuries at the receiving end of the arrogant high caste Hindus who've failed tocomprehend the profound rationale underlying "varnaashram" (human eugenics) which is primarily (1) A detailed classification of humanbeings into distinct groups (or castes) based on inborn instincts, (2) A grand experiment in eugenics that seeks to prevent deletrious hypogamous unions and inbreeding and their consequent ill effects on the psycho-emotional-physical apparatus of humanbeings born in this way due to incompatible marriages. If we're to do away with caste based reservations and benefits, then, once and for all, the government ought to formulate a comprehensive policy whereby help should be rendered to the underprevileged sections of society irrespective of religious, gender, social and caste affilations as the case maybe. And, if, in the present circumstances, dalit Muslims or Christians still insist on seeking government help under the prevailing SC/ST schemes then truly unbaised and secular citizens can equally call for the implementation of a common civil code for all Indian citizens, or ask for the abolition of previleges accorded to Hajj pilgrims. On the one hand, the Muslims fervently desire to retain their narrow Islamic identity but on the otherhand they also wish to take advantage of the reservation benefits that're aimed at uplifting Hindu dailts who fall under the yoke of casteism. If dalit converts to Islam are discriminated against by upper class Muslims, then the tableegh or ulemas should launch a sustained educational programme with the motive of removing the old caste prejudices among Muslims or a fatwa outlawing casteism among Muslims should be issued by the concerned Muslim organisations. Going by the phenomenal rate of irrational demands made by fanatical minority bodies in India, it won't be too long before there arises a clamour from the Muslims or Christians for the formal introduction in school and college syllabi of absurd beliefs of invisible angels flying down to earth to reveal wornout and flawed trash to "inspired" individuals, immaculate conception, or creationist theories revolving around the fictitious extra-cosmic god who has no causal link with anything but who yet somehow managed to create the cosmos out of nothing by simply saying "Be" ! Best Regards, Dr A K Isaacs
