Ramanathapuram: A nine-member jury, led by former Madras High Court Judge Hari Paranthaman, conducted a public hearing on alleged discrimination against Dalit Christians in Sivaganga Catholic diocese on Thursday, and announced that it would release its report in a week.
In the hearing organised at RS Mangalam near here by Tamil Nadu Untouchability Eradication Front (TNUEF) and Dalit Christians People’s Front, the jury heard complaints of prevention of Dalits from securing priesthood and prevalence of double church system in villages.
More than 600 people from various Dalit villages complained about three types of discrimination – discrimination in worship, separate cemetery system and token system to prevent participation of Dalit Christians in major festivals with the help of police.
The jury, who heard the complaints from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., said they would present the final report in a week and draw the attention of the Supreme Court, which was seized of several discrimination cases, said K. Samuel Raj, general secretary, TNUEF.
The jury also said they would send a copy of the report to the Bishop of Sivaganga diocese and the Bishop of Rome, he said.
Though the diocese maintained that Michael Raj, a Dalit theology student, was denied priesthood as he was suspended on disciplinary grounds, enquiries revealed that 14 other Dalit theology students were also suspended in a similar manner, Mr. Samuel Raj said.
He said people made a startling revelation that there were two churches in some villages – one for Dalits and the other for non-Dalits. Two cemetery system also prevailed in some villages, he said.
Recently, problem broke out at Silameganadu village in Sivaganga district when church authorities prevented Dalits from taking the body of a Dalit Christian inside the church for funeral mass, he said.
The token system to prevent Dalit Christians from attending festivals was more shocking. After issuing tokens to non-Dalits, the organisers would ask the police to allow only those who had tokens, he said.
The jury included activists V. Vasanthi Devi, John Dayal, G. Marx, G. Sugumaran, writer Pradeepa Jayachandran, former MLA R. Krishnan, priest Soosai Manickam, said Kalaiarasan, Ramanathapuram district secretary, TNUEF.
