30 November 2010
Call to pray for 'untouchables' on Dalit Liberation Sunday
On Sunday 5 December Methodists are being asked to show
solidarity with Dalits, 300 million people outside the caste system
that face discrimination in Indian society and around the
world.
Dalit Liberation Sunday is a joint initiative of the National
Council of Churches in India (NCCI) and the Catholic Bishops
Conference of India (CBCI).
Caste discrimination is believed to be the largest systemic human
rights abuse in the world today. Whilst it has been abolished under
the Indian Constitution, discrimination and prejudice against
Dalits remains widespread. Thousands of Dalits were evicted from
Delhi to remove the sight of slums for visitors to the Commonwealth
Games.
Revd David Gamble, Ex-President of the Methodist Conference,
recently attended the 40th Anniversary celebrations of the Church
of North India. He said: "I am very pleased to see that the Indian
Churches are addressing the caste question, for example at the
recent National Council of Churches Conference on Justice for
Dalits. Anything that can be done here to support their efforts, by
prayer and action, will contribute to the Gospel call to mission in
today's world."
"Caste discrimination is still a major problem both inside and
outside the Indian Churches," said the Lord Harries of Pentregarth,
former Bishop of Oxford and Chair of the All Party Parliamentary
Group on Dalits. "I warmly commend Dalit Liberation Sunday and hope
very much that churches of all denominations will include the
Dalits of India in their prayers on that day."
Churches are encouraged to have special prayers on this day, preach
sermons related to the theme and observe the day in creative ways.
A special liturgy for Dalit Liberation Sunday, together with a
range of other resources for prayer and reflection, can be found on
the NCCI website - www.nccindia.in/.
Bishop Dr. V. Devasahayam, Bishop of the Madras Diocese of Church
of South India, himself a Dalit, addressed the National Ecumenical
Conference on Justice for Dalits last month in New Delhi. He said:
"The Indian Church is in a sorry state. Church will fail if it does
not weed out caste within and outside. Both cannot go together as
Christianity is life giving while casteism is a sin and
scandal.
"Christ must save us from the abominable sin of caste," he added.
"If He can't, then the Gospel is powerless."