Dalit denied permission for higher studies in Kerala

 CTC Bulletin

Dalit Theology Of Liberation

Justin Raj by Convenor, Dalit and Adivasi Concern committee, CSI Synod
President, Christian Dalit Liberation Front

In the Kerala theological circles, where the Syrian Christian domination is at its height, dalit candidates who apply for admission to post-graduate and doctoral research studies are denied admission. Therefore, the Church in Kerala could so far not produce more than five M.Th. degree holders. The discrimination against caste is so rigid that not even a single dalit person could be admitted to research studies leading to doctoral degree. An interesting incident that took place recently to this effect may be mentioned. Among a few candidates who applied for D.Th. admission to the Federated Faculty for Research in Religion and Culture (F.F.R.R.C of the Senate of Serampore College), Kottayam, Kerala, one was a dalit. In spite of the fact that his performance in the entrance examination was good and he had satisfactorily fulfilled all other admission requirements like publication of scholarly articles and books, book review and guaranteed all financial commitments, he was mercilessly denied admission to which no reason was given. In fact he was the only one who had a number of publications to his credit and his answer papers were adjudged best. Why was such a person denied admission to an advanced course of study? The sufficient reason for the members of the admission committee constituted predominantly by Syrian Christians to deny admission to the particular person was that he was a dalit and his proposed research work was on dalits.

As mentioned above another reason for denying admission to the dalit candidate was that they feared the proposed research work would come out with shocking revelations of the cruelties done to the dalits in general and to the Christian dalits in particular within the Indian Church. Since the Christian media is controlled and dominated by the powerful oppressing community we, the dalits of the Christian Church are denied all opportunities of expressing our mind. An example to this effect may be mentioned in this context. An article on dalit theology had been sent to the editor of the Christava Deepika, the official magazine of the South Kerala Diocese. The editor outrightly refused to publish it simply because it was on dalits. This is dalit’s emotions and feelings are suppressed by the dominating community within the Indian Church. In this way the world community is prevented from hearing the feeble voice of our cries.

Read it all