Christian Casteism

03.11.08 | 6 Comments | Filed Under Commentary, Media Watch

I smirk each time I hear the words, “upper-caste” and “Dalit” Christians for obvious reasons. Now this.

Two Christians died and many more were wounded shot by police who intervened yesterday to stop clashes between Dalit Catholics and upper caste Catholics in the diocese of Pondicherry-Cuddalore (Tamil Nadu).

Troubles started on 7 March when a group of Dalit Christians from the Villupuram district began a hunger strike to protest discrimination in a local parish by the Vanniyar.

Three months ago Dalits from St Jabamalais Annai Church in Earyur built another church dedicated to Saghaya Madha (Our Lady of perpetual Help) and sought to have it erected as a separate parish with its own priest.

They were backed in their demands by two political groups, the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (Vck) and Ambedkar Makkal Iyakkam (AMI). The VCK even put up posters calling for the closure of St Jabamalai and the recognition of the new parish church.

In response some 500 upper caste Christians went on a rampage on Sunday, attacking Dalits and torching over 30 huts.

Let’s assume the same thing had happened vis a vis “upper-caste” Hindus and Dalits. The media would’ve had a field day and NDTV would quickly whip together a band of frenzied intellectuals on a talk show to shove the Hinduism-is-inherently-evil theory.

In this case, the mainstream media has not as much as reported this atrocity.

Disclaimer: Not that I’ve seen this item in any paper, but publishing this in small print in a corner on page 7 doesn’t qualify as coverage.

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