Image

Marchers for dalit rights drenched in dirty water, face baton charge

Anto A kkara Published on 12 December, 2013
Marchers for dalit rights drenched in dirty water, face baton charge

Marchers for dalit rights drenched in dirty water, face baton charge

Thousands at The CSF Good Friday Walking Pilgrimage

 


Priests in cassock brave dirty water canonPriests in cassock brave dirty water canon

New Delhi, December 12, 2013: The decades of Christian protests for end to the discrimination against Christian dalits witnessed dramatic scenes on December 11 with over 400 protesters including half a dozen Catholic bishops arrested and detained.

The arrests came after the protesters led by over 20 bishops of various denominations, dozens of priests and nuns from across India broke through police barricades and marched to the Parliament shouting ‘we want justice’.

A nun pleads with Police on her kneesA nun pleads with Police on her knees

The government introduced 15 percent reservation in educational institutions and government jobs as well as free education for Hindu dalits in 1950 for the social uplift of ‘untouchable’ dalits- while excluding non-Hindu dalits from its purview.

Though these statutory privileges were later extended to Sikh dalits in 1956 and Buddhist dalits in 1990, the repeated cry of the Christian dalits who account for two thirds of 27 million Christians in India have gone unanswered despite frequent protests and rallies across the country.

Archbishop Anil Couto of Delhi addressing the gatheringArchbishop Anil Couto of Delhi addressing the gathering

Scores of Muslims also had joined the march that was jointly organized by the Catholic church, National Council of Churches in India that groups 30 Orthodox and Protestant churches, Muslim and social action groups.

In desperate bid to stop the marchers, police first lathi-charged and beat up several protesters across the Patel House Metro station. 
Even nuns could be seen questioning the police for the brutality even as church leaders confronted the police.

Priests in cassock brave dirty water canonPriests in cassock brave dirty water canon

Undeterred, the protesters including priests in cassocks soon regrouped and knelt on the road with crosses in hand even as police truck mounted with water cannons sprayed them with muddy water several times.

It was shocking that police later claimed that they never used dirty water despite photos clearly proving it.

With the protesters including bishops refusing to budge, police arrested more than 400 of them including the bishops led by Delhi archbishop Anil Coutto and detained them.

Two lawyer nuns plead with PoliceTwo lawyer nuns plead with Police

“The Prime Minister has agreed to meet us tomorrow. So, we are leaving the police station now,” said Franklin Caesar, an outspoken Catholic dalit activist on getting out of the police station after five hours of ‘protest’ in the Parliament Street police station.

Police beat up peaceful protestorsPolice beat up peaceful protestors

Join WhatsApp News
മലയാളത്തില്‍ ടൈപ്പ് ചെയ്യാന്‍ ഇവിടെ ക്ലിക്ക് ചെയ്യുക