Peoples Nations Society with reference to Dalit Comunity in India

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Dates: 22nd June 2008
Evangelical Concert by Hephzibah a Christian Musical Band, Kathmandu (National Churches Fellowship, Nepal) , Venue: Kathmandu read more

“Peoples, Nations, Society” with special reference to Dalit Community in India: “Called to Peace” in the context of Global Changes
Annie Namala

I would like to thank the organisations of this conference for the opportunity of being here and the time to share with such a gathering of youth from across the South Asian (SAARC) countries.The reality of the Dalit community is a common factor in all our countries at varying levels and magnitude. It hence embraces complexity and even contradictions in some levels. There is not the time to go into the complexities in depth. I would like to touch on a few aspects in the context of peace and global changes.


•	The experience of Dalit communities.
•	The Impact of global changes on their lives.
•	What does peace building mean to us?
•	Some framework in the changing global scenario.
•	Church – Role and Partnership

A. The experience of Dalit Communities even today is one of brokenness:-


•	They are broken away from larger society without the right to touch and be touched.
•	The community is broken from within into sub-caste identities, our gender lines and the elite/leaders and masses.
•	Members are broken at an individual/broken and wounded level.

B. The experience of Dalit Communities even today is one of marginalisation and exclusion:-


•	From resources, constantly keeping them dependent.
•	From skill and knowledge - keeping them on the bottom rungs of development and poverty.
•	From decision making – keeping them powerless.

C. The experience of Dalit Communities even today is one of a violated community:-


•	Day to day insult and indignity mass the human self and divine image.
•	Violence and atrocity breeds anger and revenge.
•	Disconnected and ghettoised, perpetrating isolation and dehumanisation.

D. How has global changes impacted Dalit lives?

I see global changes impacting in two ways –


•	Reversing and taking away some of the affirmative measures and spaces.
•	Accelerating the process of poverty and dependency. Dalit communities have always protested in some form or other and continue to protest. It is seen in conversion movements, mass movements, in the very survival, resistance and resilience of the community.

E. What does peace making consist of for us?


•	In a simple analysis – it first of all consists of a public acknowledgement and apology for the injustices done. It also includes steps for actions that would include restitution and reparation. These could lead to reconciliation and peace building.

F. Global changes are also creating new frame works in which we can address the issues. Briefly -


•	The human rights frame-work.
•	The democracy and decision making.
•	Diversity and proportionate representation.
•	Equity of end results/outputs.
	Strategies that are found useful are:-
•	Building local community based institutions.
•	Networking and scaling up.
•	Accessing new spaces.
•	Lobby-advocacy-solidarity.

G. Church – Role & Responsibility.

The Indian church in particular has recognised this as a central issue – having its congregations primarily coming from Dalit communities much effort is going into understanding and contextualising Christianity, the Bible and Church mission from the Dalit context. Much work is needed in developing Dalit theology.

At the international level church organisations in particular are helping to initiate solidarity networks, lobby and advocacy work with their governments and the UN.

At the grassroots however – there has to be more commitment to the Dalit issue as a “whole” and not just Dalit Christians or church congregations. Church can create the space for dialogue between different actors and sections on the process. More collaboration at grass root intervention is urgently needed to make the difference.