ASIA/INDIA - The Jubilee Year in Tamil Nadu: giving new hope to the Dalits

Bangalore (Agenzia Fides) - “For the Dalits, the Jubilee means hoping for the recognition of their human dignity; it means breaking the spiral of discrimination and exclusion. The Jubilee period is a time of hope for them to escape from the caste mentality and enjoy opportunities in society and in the Church on an equal basis with other citizens," said Franciscan Father Nithya Sagayam OFM Cap, Secretary of the Commission for Castes and Scheduled Tribes (SCST) of the Council of Catholic Bishops of the State of Tamil Nadu, to Fides, referring to the Jubilee Year in the South Indian state. In an area that includes 18 dioceses and 38 civil districts, the religious works for the development, emancipation and spiritual accompaniment of the Dalits (the so-called "untouchables"), who make up 20% of the state's population (81 million inhabitants in total) and live mainly in rural areas, with little or no access to education and social services. "Among the Catholics in Tamil Nadu (7.5 million believers in total)", said the Franciscan Father, "Dalits make up about 60 percent, and they are the poorest of the poor, the excluded, the deprived of dignity. It is therefore important for the Catholic community to stand by them and to set out with them on the path of hope, as the Pope wishes at this time of the Jubilee." "It is about awakening in them the hope of human dignity, of a life worth living, which they do not just spend resignedly on the fringes of society and history. Here, a caste mentality still prevails, which irreversibly relegates them to the last place," he notes. The Commission for the Dalits of the Council of Bishops of Tamil Nadu has drawn up a program with various initiatives on the occasion of the Jubilee: "The first," he reports, "is education and learning the English language to improve their situation and the possibility of employment; then there are emancipation initiatives such as seminars to learn how to do business, to start small economic activities; there is also the desire to deal with the phenomenon of emigration, since Dalits live in rural villages and tend to migrate to the cities". "In this pilgrimage of hope alongside them - the religious concluded - we are always helped by faith in Jesus Christ, who has given salvation to all, so that each of us, each Dalit, is a beloved child'. (PA) (Agenzia Fides, 24/1/2025)

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