Ordain Dalit priest to end discrimination, appeals report

The report was jointly released by former Madras High Court Judge D Hariparanthaman, former VC of Manonmaniam Sundaranar University V Vasanthi Devi, ex-MLA R Krishnan (Vasudevanallur) and Tamil Nadu Untouchability Eradication Front general secretary K Samuelraj and Dalit Christian People’s Federation coordinator A Aruldoss on Monday. 

Bro Michael Raja was the first to emerge from Pallar Dalit Christians from the Sivagangai Diocese since its inception in 1987. When he was in the final year of the four year course St Pauls Theological Seminary at Tiruchy, he and 6 seminarians were dismissed on August 13, 2011, without justification. Even after Michael Raja was readmitted and completed his course, the Sivagangai Diocese has been refusing to ordain him.  

Study revealed that Caste Christian Seminarians who were sent out for serious misconduct and later re-admitted have subsequently become priests. However, there were several cases of Pallar Dalit Christians, who were not permitted to complete the course. Michael Raja’s episode and the cases of other Dalit Seminarians led to series of protests by the Pallar Dalit Christians of Sivagangai Diocese from April 2012. 

“Report of the public hearing was not prepared with grudge against any one. The aim of the report is to eradicate all forms of untouchability. More significantly the report points out the caste discrimination, caste oppression, and untouchability that is practiced among the Christians are against the Christian ethos,” Fr PJ Xavier, who is also part of the Committee that conducted the public hearing, said. It also reports various other discriminations.