Centre to set up panel to study status of SC members who converted to Christianity and Islam

The Centre is reportedly set to constitute a national commission to study the social, economic, and educational status of members of the Scheduled Caste community who converted to religions other than Hinduism, Sikhism, and Buddhism.

According to a report by the Indian Express, the proposal to set up such a commission is already under consideration and a decision is likely to be taken soon.

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The publication, citing its sources in the Ministry of Minority Affairs and the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), reported that a nod had been given to the proposal and that consultations are under way among various ministries, such as Home, Law, Finance, and Social Justice and Empowerment, before a final decision is taken.

IE further reported that the proposed commission is likely to have three to four members, with its chairman holding the rank of a Union Cabinet Minister. The commission is also likely to get a timeframe of well over a year to submit its report.

The move comes at a time when there are several petitions pending before the Supreme Court seeking reservations for Dalits who have converted to Christianity or Islam. The SC has given the Centre time till October 11 to place on record its stance on the issue raised by the petitioners.

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As per extant laws, a person from a religion other than Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism cannot be deemed to a member of the SC community.

It should be noted that the issue of SC reservation benefits for Dalits who have converted to Christianity or Islam has been raised before a panel, constituted by the UPA government headed by Dr Manmohan Singh had, in 2007, recommended the delinking of the SC status from religion, a recommendation that was not accepted at the time. A similar recommendation was also made by a National Commission for Minorities study in 2007, but that too was rejected on the grounds that it was not substantiated by large scale field studies.