As per the final report of the 33rd General Body Meeting of Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India, that was concluded on 9th February, 2018, Catholic news agency Fides reports that the bishops said the church should not only promote development programs and social inclusion of the Dalits but is also called to a deeper understanding of the causes and manifestations of deprivation, discrimination and exclusion of Dalit Christians within society, by the state and by the church.
The organization reports that at the end of the assembly, the bishops committed themselves to help Catholic educational institutions, to create spaces for disadvantaged Dalit students, to foster initiatives aimed at promoting the rights and development of Dalits, and to remove every trace of discrimination based upon caste.
There are some 200 million Dalits in India, making up about 60 percent of the 2.3 percent of the population who are identified as Christians.
Source: www.mattersindia.com
