Dalit Christians demo on Dec 10 for SC status

Chennai, Dec 8 (UNI) The National Council of Dalit Christians (NCDC) will organise a demonstration on December 10, demanding classification of Dalit Christians as Scheduled Castes.

Talking to newspersons here, NCDC Chairman M Mary John said the protest demonstration would be organised in front of the District Collectorates in nine states.

He said after the agitation, a memorandum would be presented to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, urging him to concede their long-pending demands.

Besides Tamil Nadu, the stir would be held in Punjab, Orissa, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Puducherry, he said adding in Tamil Nadu the agitation would be held in twelve places. He would lead the stir in the city.

Mr John said the Justice Ranganath Misra Committee had recommended inclusion of Dalit Christians in the list of Scheduled castes in May itself, but the Congress-led UPA Government at the Centre, refused to implement the recommendations.

It is more than six months since the Committee submitted its report to the Centre, but no action was taken so far, he said.

UNI