Dear Friends,
Like every year, National Council of Churches in India encourages the member Churches and organisations to proactively participate in observing the ‘Black Day’ on 10th August to raise our protest to the continual negligence of the government to the cry for the rights of Dalit Christians in the country.
The infamous Presidential (Scheduled Caste) Order 1950 was signed on 10th August 1950 by the then President of India which says “No person who professes a religion other than Hinduism shall be deemed to be a member of the scheduled caste” which was later amended to include Sikhs (1956) and Buddhists (1990) in the Scheduled Caste net. But this law, as we are all aware of, keeps the Dalit Muslims and Dalit Christians from the fold of Scheduled Caste list.
National Council of Churches in India requests you to kindly observe the ‘Black Day’ by organising protest meeting/ rallies/ demonstrations/ hunger fasts/ submitting memoranda/ candle vigils/ special prayers and other appropriate programmes in your church/institution to express our solidarity with the suffering Christians of Scheduled caste origin.
The member Churches and organisations of NCCI are also requested to wear black badges on 10th August 2016 and place the posters, which are sent along with this letter in your notice boards. We would appreciate if you send couple of photos and a brief report of the observance to the undersigned.
Thanking you in anticipation,
With regards,
In Christ,
Pradip Bansrior
Executive Secretary
Dalit and Tribal/Adivasi Concerns
National Council of Churches in India
