Tamil Nadu Assembly on Wednesday adopted a resolution nudging the Union Government to make necessary amendments to the Constitution to bring Dalit Christians under the ambit of reservation for Scheduled Castes (SC), arguing that it will help them avail the benefits of social justice in all aspects.
Moving the resolution, Chief Minister M K Stalin said the Justice (retired) K G Balakrishnan Commission appointed to go into the demands of Dalit Christians and Muslims that they be included in the reservation for SC should submit its report only after eliciting views of state governments.
BJP Mahila Morcha chief and Coimbatore (South) MLA Vanathi Srinivasan opposed the resolution and staged a walkout along with her party members.
“This august House urges the Government of India to make necessary amendments to the Constitution to extend statutory protection, rights and concessions including reservation as provided to the people belonging to Scheduled Castes under the Indian Constitution, also to the Scheduled Castes who have converted to Christianity, so as to enable them to avail the benefits of social justice in all aspects," the resolution moved by Stalin read.
In his speech, Stalin said the Constitution considers only Hindus, Buddhists, and Sikhs as members of the Scheduled Castes and not those from other religions and argued that everyone who had been historically part of the community should be considered as SC so that they get reservation benefits in education and job.
“That is the only way for them to rise in society. Our stand is that they (Dalit Christians) should not be denied the rights just because they converted to another religion. People have the right to follow the religion of their choice, but they cannot change their caste. Caste is proving to be a societal menace,” the Chief Minister said.
Arguing that Dalits who converted to Christianity should be brought under the ambit of SC reservation, Stalin said the DMK during its previous regimes under M Karunanidhi had pushed for the demand inside and outside TN Assembly.
As far as Tamil Nadu is concerned, Stalin said, Dalit Christians avail all rights and incentives that are accorded to members of the SC community except reservation. “Dalit Christian students and research scholars avail several scholarships and it is only fitting that they get to enjoy the benefits of reservation as well,” the Chief Minister added.
Recalling that the Constitution was amended in 1990 to include Buddhists, and Sikhs in the list of Scheduled Castes, Stalin said Dalit Christians also expect a similar Constitutional Amendment to ensure that they also get the reservation benefits.
The resolution comes even as the Union Government is against extending reservation benefits to Dalits who have accepted Christianity and Islam.
The Centre had in December 2022 told the Supreme Court that it was not willing to implement the recommendations made by the Justice Ranganath Misra Commission for Religious and Linguistic Minorities that Dalits who converted to Christianity and Islam should also be provided with reservation.
In a statement, TN BJP chief K Annamalai accused Stalin of engineering this “escape route” to divert people's attention and from answering charges levelled against him by the saffron party.
He said the BJP has raised several questions against the DMK government on the atrocities committed against members of the Scheduled Castes and unspent funds of more than 10,000 Crore rupees in the last financial year under the Scheduled Caste Sub-Plans.
“We urge the DMK-led state government of Tamil Nadu to spend time effectively fulfilling their poll promises and ensure that their partymen do not threaten the livelihood of the Scheduled Caste brothers and sisters,” Annamalai said.
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