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Jalandhar (Punjab): The recent Supreme Court ruling in the case of an Andhra Pradesh-based pastor that converting to a religion other than Hinduism, Sikhism and Buddhism would be seen as losing Scheduled Caste status, has touched a sensitive spot across the country, but especially among the Dalits of Punjab. The state with the highest proportion of Scheduled Castes – nearly one-third (31.9% as per Census 2011) of the population – also has a history of caste-based discrimination.

In Chinthada Anand vs State of Andhra Pradesh, the pastor sought protection from the Supreme Court under Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. The judgement denying this protection has led to widespread concern among Dalit Christians in Punjab, who primarily belong to the Valmiki, Majhbi Sikh and Ad-dharmi communities, the major Scheduled Caste groups of the state.

Census 211 records that around 1.5% of Punjab’s population is Christian, and there has been an apparent resurgence within the community, with independent ministries and churches coming up in villages, towns and cities around Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Kapurthala, Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Gurdaspur, Ferozepur and Pathankot districts in the Majha and Doaba regions.

The Dalit Christians mostly live in the Doaba region, a belt with over 32% of the Punjabi Dalit population across faiths. Conversely, the Majha belt has a sizeable population of the Valmiki community and Majhbi Sikhs, who, too, have a significant number of followers of the Christian faith.

Recently, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, during a ‘badlav’ (change) rally at Moga in the state, said the BJP would ban religious conversion in Punjab through a new law.

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In this context, the Supreme Court’s judgement has added to the fears among Dalit Christians, even though the BJP – Shah’s party – is a marginal player in Punjab’s politics

Dalit Christians are disadvantaged

Talking to The Wire, Professor Emanual Nahar, former chairman Minority Commission, Punjab, said he welcomed the Supreme Court’s judgement but urged it to consider the socio-economic condition of Punjab’s Dalits who adopted Christianity as their faith.

“The apex court should consider the Ranganath Misra and Sachar Committee reports on Dalits and Muslims, respectively. Both commissions advocated reservations for Dalit Muslims and Christians,” he said.

Nahar, who is Dean, Social Sciences and Liberal Arts, at Jagat Guru Nanak Dev Punjab State Open University, Patiala said Dalit Christians were a depressed class and faced severe deprivation. “The Majhbi Sikhs and Ravidassia were included in the list of Scheduled Castes in 1956, when parliament passed the first amendment [to the constitution], and added the Buddhists following the........

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