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Greetings
in the matchless name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!
It gives me great pleasure to send my greetings on the occasion of launching
a Website for NCCI Dalit Task Force.
The people all over the world receive the news of the happenings of the world
by sitting in front of their computer through website. Most of the people
are losing their interest to read the newspapers. Their interest is shifted
to in the Internet World and they get the informations very quickly. So, the
Electronic media makes the world faster and closer. So it is high time to
launch a website to make our activities known to the people. Our activities
and programmes for the people who are really downtrodden and neglected will
reach their knowledge too.
I am sure that the NCCI Dalit Task Force website will be an added facility
to aid our struggle to liberate the Dalits and pass on the informations to
the targeted group of people.
May God bless you all
Thanking you
Yours in His service
Rt. Rev. Dr. S. Jeyapaul David
President, NCCI
On
the occasion of launching a website for Dalit Concerns, the National Council
of Churches in India congratulates the Dalit Task Force of the Council, its
Chairperson, Dr. K. Rajaratnam and all the members. We are delighted that,
through years of struggle of the churches and the NCCI, Dalit concerns have
been brought to the centre stage of the mission of the Church. It is both
a Christian and a human concern at the same time. It is also affirmed that
the liberation of Dalits is a common task of Dalits and non-Dalits.
It is a gratifying fact that we are able to form a global forum for the Dalit
concerns. Much serious efforts have been put into it. The churches in India
and the NCCI have to work together to enhance the agenda of the forum.
The major task before us is the strengthening of Dalit identity and dignity.
In our efforts to ascribe a new identity to a people, we may succeed to make
them internalize the new identity. The danger is that this identity may end
up in a multitude of normative prescriptions imposed on the people. All those
who have a history of untouchability are Dalits. Untouchability is what makes
one a broken person. The untouchables cannot be pushed into a new identity
simply by theGovernment's action to remove them from the list of Scheduled
Castes.
Therefore, the task of the Church is to affirm her solidarity in words and
action to Dalit liberation. In this ongoing struggle, we are called to be
partners as people of God.
We hope that the new website will be a meeting point of the churches, the
Dalit activists and NGOs involved in Dalit liberation for this common venture.
Congratulations Dalit Task Force!
Rev.
Dr. Ipe Joseph, General Secretary, NCCI
Rt. Rev. Dr. D. K. Sahu, General Secretary Designate, NCCI
Prof. Z. C. Devadanam, Treasurer, NCCI
Message
from "THE DRUM": Heralding Dalit Empowerment, Action & Reflection
The NCCI identified Dalit Liberation as its fresh mission
mandate. The last Quadrennial of the NCCI experienced new ecumenical churning
and reconfiguration. The Assembly identified Dalit liberation as its priority.
The New Restructuring also witnessed the focused streamlining of all the ecumenical
expressions in the NCCI Secretariat. The Dalit Task Force is also an outcome
of this internal reconfiguration. The Dalit Task Force will steer, envision
and guide the vision of the NCCI.
To be engaged in Dalit liberation is not to be a token response to a human
predicament which needs urgent, focused and a passionate response. The NCCI's
new found energy and enthusiasm in this direction is long overdue and a welcome
sign. NCCI is now making itself more relevant in its ministries.
We dedicate the NCCI Dalit Task Force Website for God's Glory and for service
to communities who have been oppressed for centuries seeking human dignity
and justice. We hope that this Website will inform, inspire and motivate larger
ecumenical participation and action.
We are reminded of the Nazareth Manifesto which continues to inspire and motivate
us in the ecumenical movement.
"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good
news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery
of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year
of the Lord's favor."
We hope that the Website and all other communication activities will augment
each other in promoting the vision of the Church.
Rev. Dr. Chandran Paul Martin
Executive Secretary, UELCI
There
are several web sites that provide information on Dalit issues. This web site
of the NCCI Dalit Task Force is one more. Its significance lies in the fact
that a national body of the churches in India maintains it and that therefore
serves as an invitation to all its constituent members to keep themselves
abreast about Dalit issues. All this knowledge would hopefully lead to committed
actions for Dalit liberation.
The Indian Church is predominantly a Dalit Church - nearly 60 per cent of
the Indian Christians are of the Dalit background. The National Council of
Churches in India the ecumenical body of the Protestant and Orthodox confessions
is fully aware of this dalitness of the Indian Church. It had and continues
to espouse the cause of Dalit Christians especially in relation to the State
policies of reservations. In the recent years, it has become even more articulate
about its perception that the larger problem is caste-based discrimination
and that therefore nothing less than total liberation of the total Dalit Community
is required.
The NCCI Dalit Task Force was created and mandated by the Assembly of the
Council of Churches to undertake a variety of programmes to facilitate Dalit
liberation. The NCCI DTF Web site is one such programme and I have no doubt
that it would help in mobilizing public opinion and build national and international
support networks for Dalit liberation.
Rev.Dr.Y.Moses
Executive Secretary, NCCI Dalit Task Force