- By Fr. William Premdass Chaudhary

New Delhi, India: The Local Dalit Catholics are the real owner of Delhi Catholic Archdiocese. The foreign missionaries came to Delhi and it’s surrounding to spread the message of love and peace given by Lord Jesus Christ.

The Hindu Dalit community whole heartedly received Christ’s message of love and peace. Hindu dalit received the faith and became Christian .Dalit Catholics and Christians were growing faster, in number while having peace and harmony among them, Hindu Dalit converted into Christianity were living peacefully along with Hindu community without any disturbance, in the sphere of social, economical, political, and spiritual life. The Christian faith did not bring division among Hindu dalit and Christian Dalit; even the same tradition exits today also.

Dalits Catholics and Christians were practicing the faith and growing much faster and stronger in faith even though foreign missionaries left Delhi and its surroundings long back. But gradually Dalit Catholics were being neglected by the church authority in the church, in every aspect; the Dalit Catholics were insulted and were not getting same respect as earlier in the Delhi church. Due to this most of the Dalit Catholics went back to Hindu community.

Dalit Hindu accepted the Christianity in order to escape froe social evils, especially the casteism, which is very much practiced in Hinduism. Dalit Catholics were and are being cheated in the Delhi church. There is no honor and equal right for Dalit Catholics in the Delhi Church. Even today Dalit Catholics are poor, uneducated, illiterate unemployed and socially exploited in the church. Those who have come from south India and other parts of the country and settled in Delhi are having better life. They are well-off, educated, employed and enjoying social status in Delhi Church; whereas the local Dalit Catholics condition remains the same.

I, Fr. William Premdass Chaudhary, am the only local Dalit Catholic priest in the Catholic Archdiocese of Delhi, after becoming the priest, I have sacred duty to take care and lead and safeguard the dignity of the Dalit Catholics in Delhi Catholic Archdiocese. I have been raising the issue and problems faced by Dalit and Tribals people in the Delhi church to the Delhi Church authorities particularly to Archbishop of Delhi. We, Dalit and Tribals Catholics, want to have honor and equal right in the Delhi Catholic Church.

Rt. Rev. Vincent Michael Concessao; archbishop of Delhi is out rightly against the local dalit Catholics even since he became the archbishop of Delhi. He did not and is not doing anything for the improvement of Dalit and Tribal Catholics in Delhi. He has always ignored the need of Dalit and Tribals Catholics in archdiocese of Delhi, rather he is creating a more problem and troubles for Dalit Catholics by providing more and more space and facilities for south Indian Catholics in the Delhi Church itself.

He has a dual behavior towards Dalit and local Catholics, which is very much seen in his policies and action. One hand he is raising he issue of reservation for Dalit Catholics to the Government of India and other hand he is mistreating his own Dalit Catholic Priest (Fr. William Premdass Chaudhary) and denying the equal right for Dalit Catholics, within the Delhi Church itself. First of all he should provide equal space / opportunity/ position / honour for local Dalit Catholic in the Delhi Church itself; before advocating the issue of reservation.

Since the last six decades, the dalit Christians are suffering in two ways. First we, Dalit people became Catholics and lost the reservation status provided by the constitution of India, in order to escape the clutches of casteism and in hope to get respect/ honor / dignified life / equal opportunity to grow in Delhi Church. But that hope has become our nightmare. We are Dalit Catholic have been denied respect/ honor / dignified life / equal opportunity to grow in Delhi Church especially by the Archbishop of Delhi, he has been unjust to local Dalit Catholic, local Catholics and me.

I am the only local Dalit Catholic priest in the Archdiocese of Delhi, I am serving Delhi Catholic Archdiocese as priest from last 16 years. I have been mistreated since he has become the archbishop of Delhi; he is bias toward me and local Catholics, I have been denied equal positions/ rights / and opportunity which I am suppose to get as a priest; by archbishop of Delhi; here I would like to mention that he not only denying the equal right/ opportunity to me; but he is also bias to me and my community.

I have completed the sixteen year of priesthood but archbishop has denied any assignment (Parish / Schools/ Commissions etc) to me from last three years consequently, as I am raising a voice for the betterment of Local Dalit Catholics; He is mistreating his own dalit priest in the diocese and other hand he trying to project him self as an advocate for dalit issues to the Government of India. Since he is dishonest, bias having dual behavior and different polices towards my community and me. I will fight for justice for my community and my self.

We, Dalit Catholics, local catholic, tribal and dalit Christians form a big family. We are the real owner of Archdiocese of Delhi; we were and are living peacefully, having no distinction and discrimination among our self. Dalit Catholics are not separated from Dalit Hindus. The Christianity does not divide us. We enjoy social, economical, and political platform with the same spirit as earlier days. In the earlier days, we welcomed south Indian Catholics in North India, we considered them as part of our community. But the Archbishop of Delhi created division among us and divided us North Indian and South Indian Catholics in the name of the rite doing thus he has destroyed the harmony which was existing in the Delhi Catholic Archdiocese and separated South Indians from us. We, North Indian Catholics remain united. But he can not divide dalit, local and tribal Catholics even though he is treating us as second class Catholics in the Delhi Church. We will fight for justice and will have our honor and right in the church.

In the end I ask the Archbishop of Delhi to restore the dignity of Archbishop, which was confirmed to him by Catholic Church. Stop misusing the power which was assign and given to him by Holy Catholic Church for his own sake. He should restore the dignity of sacred office of Archbishop by promoting and providing equal right and opportunity for the entire priest community, and he should stop promoting and providing a special places for the priest belong to his own community in the church.

(Catholic priest, Catholic Archdiocese of Delhi)