Ten-Point Programme Formulated By the PCLM for Development of Dalit Christians:

PCLM model for development of Dalit Christians in the new millennium for a golden future for the 7o % Christian population:

Keeping in view the necessity of change in the social, economic, political and academic standards of the life of Dalit Christians, the ‘Poor Christian Liberation Movement’ (PCLM) has been drawing attention of the church leadership towards the pathetic conditions of Dalit Christians. For the last two years, PCLM has been stressing the need to draw up a model for the development of Dalit Christians. Activists and workers of the movement have dwelt in detail on the basic necessities of Dalit Christians, with various denominations and groups. Emboldened by the Bhopal Declaration of January 2002 meant for the development of Dalit sections of the society, Dalit Christians fondly recall ‘The Charter for the Poor’ (Anavin Yahweh) declared most solemnly by Lord Jesus in his Sermon on the mount: “Blessed are the Poor, they shall possess the land”. The movement’s deologues, executive members, senior members considered each and every aspect before drawing up the Charter for Dalit Christians, including the original spirit behind the  Bhopal Declaration of the Government of Digvijay Singh of Madhya Pradesh. After intense debates and discussions, senior members and executive members urged the movement –President R L Francis to draw a model for the development of Dalit Christians, so that it may be referred to the Christian masses in different states throughout the country for their opinion and comment.

National seminar hald in New Delhi and other part of the country on September 7, 2000, February 22, 2001, April 10, 2002, on “53 years of Independence- Dalit Christians in India, Dalit Christians and Church organization, and Role of the Church in the Development of Dalit Christians” were of great help to focus, sharpen and pinpoint the real needs of the Dalit Christians. Finally on April 26, 2002, the final draft was prepared and agreed upon as such.

The following is the ten-point programme formulated by the PCLM for Development of Dalit Christians:

1. Land Concrete plans should be formulated to make available three acres of cultivable land to each rural Dalit Christian family to enable it to preserve its social and economic well-being. Dalit Christians could not avail themselves of the benefit of the land distribution dyring the Bhoodan Movement launched by the great social activist the Late Sant Vinobha Bhave just after independence.Again, in the 1980s, they were denied the benefits of the 20-point economic upliftment programme launched by the Prime Minister Smt Indra Gandhi.Church leadership and Christian NGOs should make an honest and through effort to make available land to the landless Dalit Christian population, because of  the social  and  economic standards of a community can be judged only by the land owned by it. Dalit Christians do not possess land even fof building asmall tenement for the survival of their families. Church leadershi