Commission against SC benefits to Dalit Muslims, Christians

New Delhi, Feb 20 (UNI) The National Commission for Scheduled Castes (SCs) has conveyed to the Centre its firm opposition to the demand for giving benefits available to these castes to Dalit converts to Islam and Christianity.

It has also rejected the controversial proposal that children born to an SC woman and non-SC male should be given the benefits available to the mother's caste.

The proposal had been floated by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.

''In our final recommendations to the government, we have rejected the two proposals,'' Mr Fakirbhai Veghela, acting chairman of the Commission, told a news conference here today.

The Commission's term is going to expire on February 24.

Giving reservation and other benefits to children of persons marrying SC women will lead to the misuse of the provision, as people could marry SC women just to get the benefits, Mr Vaghela, who is vice-chairman of the Commission, said.

Moreover, he argued, the children of a SC woman and non-SC man will inherit customs and traditions of the paternal side and their social status will cease to be eligible for benefits as the touch stone of the status was the untouchability they suffered.

Further, allowing SC status to such children will increase the number of eligible candidates, thus depriving the real downtrodden of the benefits available to these castes, said the Commission vice-chairman.

The Commission has also rejected the proposal to give SC status to Dalit converts to Islam and Christianity, because these religions have no untouchability which was the main criterion of giving privileges and benefits to Scheduled Castes, said Mr Vaghela.

If the economic condition of some Muslims was as worse as those of SCs, they could be given reservation or other benefits under the other backward classes category, he added.

He, however, justified SC benefits to converts to Sikhs and Buddhism, saying these were considered as part of Hinduism.

''Dalit word neither defined under the Constitution nor under the law in force. Reservation has been provided to Scheduled Castes on the basis of various parameters in which untouchability is the main parameter. When a Scheduled Castes of Hindu religion converts to Muslims/Christian religion, the untouchability stigma is no more there in the new religion,'' said a resolution forwarded to the Centre by the Commission.

UNI