Dozens of priests and nuns, including the Archbishop of Delhi, were among hundreds of protestors arrested yesterday for taking part in a peaceful rally for the rights of Dalits.
Mumbai Cardinal Oswald Gracias condemned the attack by Delhi police, who used water cannon and canes on protestors, including Archbishop JT Anil Couto and clergy and Religious from across India, who approached the Parliament building shouting "we want justice", AsiaNews reported.
Police beat the protestors and several people, including nuns and priests, were injured.
Delhi Archbishop Anil Couto was among those arrested and taken to a police station, before being released without charge. He said: “Government after government have been turning a deaf ear to the demand of Christians. Now they are going to the extent of brutally beating up our priests and nuns and now arresting us too”. Protest leaders have filed a case against police for their manhandling of women protesters.
Also arrested were leaders of other denominations including Church of North India General Secretary Alwan Masih, Ecumenical Fellowship of India’s Reverend Vijayesh Lal and National Council of Chuches of India's Roger Gaikwad.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today apologised in person to some of the protest leaders for the heavy-handed police response, and promised that their demands would be discussed at the next Cabinet meeting.
Cardinal Oswald Gracias, president of the bishops' conference and archbishop of Mumbai, condemned "the excessive violence on our bishops, priests and nuns". He told AsiaNews they were "arrested and detained because they fought for the rightful demands of the country's poor and marginalised."
Fr Ajay Singh, who also took part in the rally, told the charity Christian Solicarity Worldwide: “The Prime Minister’s apology must be followed by action to end more than 60 years of injustice done to Dalit Christians and Dalit Muslims … He should not play politics with the millions of Indians deprived of their human rights. The police response to the protest shows how the state ignores the multiple layers of discrimination against the most vulnerable and marginalised minority communities”.
The protestors were demanding an end to the discrimination against India’s 20 million Dalit Christians.
While the Indian Government guarantees Dalits, the so-called “untouchables” or lowest in the caste system, a free education and a quota of public sector jobs, those who become Christians or Muslims are excluded from social benefits because their newly adopted faiths are not part of the caste system.
Above: Water cannon are fired at Religious at the protests in Delhi. Photo: AsiaNews
Loading ...
