MP Kavya bats for SC status for Dalit Christians

Warangal Member of Parliament Dr.KadiyamKavya on Wednesday urged the Centre to grant Scheduled Caste (SC) status to Dalit Christians and sought the deletion of Paragraph 3 of the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950, during a meeting with Justice K. G. Balakrishnan in New Delhi.

Submitting a detailed memorandum to the Commission, Kavya argued that Dalit Christians continue to face social, educational and economic discrimination despite religious conversion. She maintained that conversion to Christianity does not eliminate caste-based disadvantages and that denying SC status solely on religious grounds runs contrary to the constitutional principles of equality and social justice.

The MP called for extending Scheduled Caste recognition to Dalit Christians, citing Articles 14, 15, 16 and 46 of the Constitution, which promote equality, non-discrimination and the welfare of weaker sections.

She also pointed out that similar recognition had been extended to Sikh and Buddhist communities in the past and said the same principle should apply to Dalit Christians.

Referring to the recommendations of the Justice RanganathMisra Commission and other expert committees, Kavya urged the Commission to recommend the removal of Paragraph 3 and advise the Central Government to confer SC status on Dalit Christians. She noted that nearly three lakh Christians of Scheduled Caste origin reside in Telangana, particularly in the Warangal Parliamentary Constituency, and said granting SC status would improve their access to education, employment opportunities, welfare schemes and constitutional safeguards. Kavya appealed for a favourable recommendation to uphold the constitutional values of equality, secularism and social justice.