The Tamil Nadu Assembly on Wednesday passed a resolution urging the centre to extend all benefits to scheduled caste people who converted to Christianity.
The resolution called on the ‘Government of India to amend the Constitution to extend statutory protection, rights, and concessions, including reservation, to Scheduled Castes who have converted to Christianity,’ so that they can avail the benefits of social justice in all aspects.
Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin tables resolution in the Legislative Assembly urging the Union government to bring amendments in the laws to give reservation to the Adi Dravidians who have converted to Christianity pic.twitter.com/B0f5a3mnFA
— ANI (@ANI) April 19, 2023
All other parties, including the main opposition, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), supported the resolution, however, Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Vanathi Srinivasan protested it by staging a walkout with other members of her party. Her comments on the subject expressed in the assembly were also expunged by Speaker M. Appavu.
Chief Minister MK Stalin, who introduced the resolution, stated that it was wrong to deny Dalit Christians the same privileges as other Adi Dravidar (Dalit) community members on the grounds of conversion to another religion.
“People have the right to practice the religion of their liking, but their caste doesn’t change. Adi Dravidar people continue to suffer caste atrocities such as untouchability even after converting to other religions. We have to look into this aspect with compassion. Just because they got converted to another religion, denying them the rights enjoyed by the people of their own community is not right. It is our stand,” the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader noted.
He requested the K.G. Balakrishnan Commission, which had been constituted by the Union government in October 2022 to investigate whether Dalit Christians and Muslims should be granted reservations, to deliver its findings only after hearing from state governments.
“I request the commission to submit its final report only after eliciting the views of all states and after visiting the states. I move this resolution urging the Centre to amend the Constitution appropriately to extend the concessions given to SCs to those converted to Christianity too,” he appealed.
The CM mentioned how constitutional modifications allowed for the inclusion of Sikhs in 1956 and Buddhists in 1990, and he claimed that the Adi Dravidars (Dalits) who converted to Christianity were hoping for a similar amendment. He proclaimed, “In Tamil Nadu, Dalit Christian students and research scholars avail several scholarships, and it is only fair that they also receive the benefits of reservation.”
Meanwhile, Vanathi Srinivasan charged that the DMK moved the resolution only for political benefits. “The central government is already looking into this issue through the Balakrishnan commission and the matter was also being heard in the Supreme Court. Even last week, this came up in the Supreme Court, and the case has been adjourned to July. So, when it is in court, and the central government is looking into it, why does this resolution need to be brought in now,” she asked while talking to reporters outside the assembly.
The BJP lawmaker criticised the state government for remaining silent on the Vengaivasal issue, special legislation for recovering Panchami lands, and unimpeded honour killings in the state, and challenged whether the resolution was suggestive of the perpetual atrocities against SCs even after they converted to Christianity and Islam.
According to the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950, only adherents of the Hindu, Sikh, or Buddhist faiths are currently granted the constitutional right to reservations in employment and education as SC.
