Stop discrimination after death: NCM

NEW DELHI: The National Commission for Minorities (NCM) urged government of Tamil Nadu to stop the discriminatory practice of burying dalit christians separately, on the basis of their previous caste as Hindus. It has asked the RCMC Society and the Bishop to sit together and find out ways to remove discrimination within the community. The apex body of minority rights has been monitoring the issue brought before it by Supreme Court advocate and rights activist, Radhakanta Tripathy. The petitioner alleged that the discriminatory practice of burying dalit christians in a  separate burial ground, has been continuing, because Christianity has not been able to get rid of caste factor. Many in India have embraced Christianity to escape the age old oppression of  Hindu social order, but Christianity itself in some places is finding it difficult to shrug off the worst of the caste discrimination. Tripathy requested the commission to ensure equality and protection of human rights after death, which is against humanity and the Constitution of India. It was on December 20 last year, when NCM queried Bishop Antony Devetta’s representative about the discriminatory practice in burial grounds and graveyards. He replied that it is not an isolated incident and is indeed prevalent in other parts of Tamil Nadu. Then, in a surprising development, the NCM advised Radhakanta, who moved it to highlight this detestable practice of separate burial, to take up the matter in a higher court and inform it of the development. A peeved Tripathy, in a rejoinder told the NCM that the said matter cannot be taken up to a higher court. as the court would question his locus standi and there is also an unreasonable delay as the munsif court had decided the case of Tiruchy cemetery way back in the 1980s. The NCM has then heard the Chief Secretary and IGP of Tamil Nadu as well as the district collector of Trichy. The representatives of RCMC Cemetery Protection Society submitted that the dividing wall is meant for the protection of the property and not for discrimination. They further said that converts from scheduled caste are neither members nor do they represent the management of their society. However, they submitted that they have no objection to accept dalit converts as members.