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Revision as of 03:32, 6 February 2008 by Bakasuprman (talk | contribs) (→Caste Discrimination among Indian Christians)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)The Caste system among Indian Christians came about due to assimilation of local Hindu practices, and due to stratification by sects of Christians. Christians in India are stratified by sect, location, and the castes of their predecessors. For instance, the Syrian Nasrani Christians in South India retain the middle caste status in society. Starting from the 16th century, Portuguese missionaries converted some of the lower-castes to Christianity.
Christian groups have adapted the Indian caste system in diverse ways across the subcontinent. Many of the discrimination faced by lower castes in other religious communities are present among Christians as well as some which are unique to this community.
Christian castes by region
Goa
In the Indian state of Goa, mass conversions were carried out by Portuguese missionaries from the 16th century onwards. The Hindu converts retained their caste practices. The continued maintenance of the caste system among the Christians in Goa is attributed to the nature of mass conversions of entire villages, as a result of which existing social stratification was not affected. The Portuguese colonists , despite their violent anti-Hindu iconoclasm, did not do anything to change the caste system. Thus, the original Hindu Brahmins in Goa now became Christian "Bamonn's", and the Kshatriya became Christian noblemen called "Chatim" or "Chardos".The Christian clergy became almost exclusively Bamonn .Vaishya's who converted to Christianity became "Gauddo's", and Shudras became "Sudir's". Finally, the Dalits or "Untouchables" who converted to Christianity became "Maharas" and "Chambars" (an apellation of the anti-Dalit ethnic slur "Chamaar"). The upper caste Gaonkar Christians have demanded that only their community be given positions on the Pastoral Council of Goa's Catholic Church
Several ethnic groups who did not convert to Christianity and remained Hindus (such as Marathas) were incorporated into the Christian caste of "Chaddho".
Kerala
Syrian Christians derive their high caste status from the tradition that they are converted Namboodiris, who were evangelized by St. Thomas
Syrian Christians tend to be endogamous, and tend not to intermarry with other Christian castes. Also, very rarely are there intermarriages between Latin Rite Christians and New Christians (converted in the 16th and 19th centuries) in Kerala. Anthropologists have noted that the caste hierarchy among Christians in Kerala is much more polarized than the Hindu practices in the surrounding areas, due to a lack of jatis. Also, the caste status is kept even if the sect allegiance is switched (i.e. from Syrian Catholic to Syrian Orthodox).
Tamil Nadu
The cohesion of jatis among low caste Christians (eg. Paravas) and the strength of caste leadership are noted by scholars to be much stronger than comparable predominantly Hindu castes in the region.
Andhra Pradesh
Among Catholic Reddys in Andhra Pradesh, Christians prefer marrying Hindu members of their jati, to marrying low caste Christians.
Caste Discrimination among Indian Christians
Certain christian churches in South India, primarily the Roman Catholic Church there, are largely controlled by upper caste catholic Priests and nuns. Low-caste Dalit Catholics are discriminated against by certain upper-caste Catholics; this prejudice sometimes extends to other denominations. Presently in India, more than 70% of Catholics are Dalits, but the higher caste Catholics (30% by estimates) control 90% of the Catholic churches administrative jobs . Out of the 156 catholic bishops, only 6 are from lower castes.
There are separate seats, separate communion cups, burial grounds, and churches for lower castes in Kerala. In addition, Dalit boys are not allowed to be altar boys or lectors and there are even separate burial grounds for Christians of different castesCite error: A <ref> tag is missing the closing </ref> (see the help page). Very few such Dalit Christians are involved in the administrative services, except for the few who reconverted back to Hinduism.
There exists evidence to show that Christian individuals have mobility within their respective castes. Caste discrimination is strongest among Christians in the South, and weak among urban Protestants in North India
Criticism
Many Dalit Catholics have spoken out against discrimination against them by the Catholic Church. A famous Dalit activist with a nom-de-plume of Bama Faustina has written books that are critical of the discrimination by the nuns and priests in Churches in South India.. Pope John Paul II also criticized the caste discrimination in the Roman Catholic Church of India when addressing the bishops of: Madras, Mylapore, Madurai, Cuddalore, and Puducherry in late 2003. He went on to say "It is the Church's obligation to work unceasingly to change hearts, helping all people to see every human being as a child of God, a brother or sister of Christ, and therefore a member of our own family".
Caste distinctions among Catholic Indian Christians are breaking down at about the same rate as those among Indians belonging to other religions. In some cases, social inertia cause old traditions and biases against other castes to remain, causing caste segregation among Indian Christians.
Under the law
Indian law does not provide benefits for "Dalit Christians", however Christians have been agitating for the same rights given to Hindu, Buddhist, and Sikh Scheduled castes. Despite the activists point of discrimination due to social tag or status, which doesn't go away, Justice K. G. Balakrishnan asked:
Could the Christians admit that they practise caste system and that Dalits (among them) face social discrimination requiring reservation to uplift their cause? This is not all that easy
Some Christians also oppose the proposed labeling of "Christian Scheduled castes" because they feel their identity may be assimilated. Pastor Salim Sharif of the Church of North India notes "We are becoming another class and caste"
Notes
- Schwartzberg Atlas, v. , p. 232. - University of Chicago
- ^ Christian Castes Encyclopædia Britannica
- Upper caste Catholics demand special rights, threaten to reconvert Indian Express - November 24, 1999
- Caste Structure (in Goa). webindia123.com
- Fuller, C.J.Indian Christians: Pollution and Origins.Man, New Series, Vol. 12, No. 3/4. (Dec., 1977), pp. 528-529.
- Rao Babadur L. K. Anantakrishna Ayyar, Anthropology of the Syrian Christians. Cochin Government Press. 1926
- ^ Kerala Christians and the Caste System C. J. Fuller Man, New Series, Vol. 11, No. 1. (Mar., 1976), pp. 53-70.
- Kauffman, S. B.. "A Christian Caste in Hindu Society: Religious Leadership and Social Conflict among the Paravas of Southern Tamilnadu." Modern Asian Studies. 15, No. 2, (1981)
- Anthropometric variation among the reddis of Southern Andhra Pradesh, India - V Mani. Reddy 1987
- Still untouchable: the politics of religious conversion Christian Century - June 19, 2002
- Webster, John. 1994. The Christian Dalits: A History. Delhi: Indian Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge (ISPCK).
- CAST IDENTITY WITHIN THE CHURCH TWICE ALIENATION - Dalit Christians
- Problems and Struggles Dalitchristians.com
- Koshy, Ninan. Caste in the Kerala Churches. Bangalore: Christian Institute for the Study of Religion and Society, 1968.
- discrimination against Dalits by Christians indianhope.free.fr
- Michael 1999:17
- A palmyra leaf that sears us The Hindu - September 16, 2001
- Papal Address to Bishops of Madras-Mylapore, Madurai and Pondicherry-Cuddalore ZENIT - November 17, 2003
- Christian caste, Encyclopædia Britannica
- Do Christians also practise caste system, asks SC Times of India - July 20, 2007
- Sharif interview 17 November 1996
References
- Kenneth, Ballhatchet (1998). Caste, Class and Catholicism in India, 1789-1914. Routledge. ISBN 0700710957. Retrieved 2007-04-24.
- Manickam, Sundararaj. Studies in Missionary History: Reflections on a Culture-contact. Christian Literature Society, 1988.