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Jaipur, a jewel in the desert sands of India's Rajasthan state, has always attracted attention as a tourist's delight. But the city made news for a darker reason in late April, when television cameras recorded an assault on Christian pastor Walter Masih.

Police promptly rounded up five suspected Hindu activists for the unprovoked attack. But they also began to investigate the role of the television cameramen, suggesting that the video may have been made to intimidate. The widely broadcasted incident sparked a nationwide protest by Christians, who number 23 million in India. Hundreds of Christians sat in protest close to the Indian Parliament building the day after the attack. Masih himself traveled a few hundred miles to take part in a protest rally against such attacks in Bangalore. A late May protest in New Delhi attracted about 4,000 demonstrators.

Joseph D'Souza, president of the Dalit Freedom Network, alleged that Hindu nationalists have coordinated and videotaped an escalating number of attacks on Christians, including many lower-caste Dalits. Other observers said expanding political and economic opportunities for Dalits provoke some Hindus.

"Even as the marginalized and the low-caste people have carved a niche for themselves, attacks on them have only increased to browbeat them into silence," said social affairs analyst Augustine Kaunds.

India's Christians, most of whom come from a Dalit background, are easy targets because they rarely respond in kind. Many still recall the words of forgiveness offered by Australian missionary Gladys Staines after a Hindu mob murdered her husband, Graham, and children in 1999.

"You don't hear of a communal riot when Christians are attacked," Kaunds said.

Upcoming political events could further raise tensions. India's Supreme Court heard a case July 19 about whether Dalits may continue to benefit from affirmative action if they convert to Christianity. Currently, only Hindus and converts to Buddhism and Sikhism can benefit. Although a preliminary report for the National Commission for Religious and Linguistic Minorities favored reservation benefits for Dalits regardless of religion, the federal government has done nothing to implement its recommendations. The court, instead of deciding the case, referred the issue to the government, giving it eight weeks to decide whether to implement the report's recommendations.

The Supreme Court's deferral was a disappointment to the Dalit Christian community, said Sam Pal, national secretary for public affairs of the All-India Christian Council. "We have big apprehensions that justice won't be done," he said. "In February, the leader of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes was on record saying that they do not want these benefits to be extended to the Dalit Christians."

Earlier this year, a man educated in a church-run school became the first lower-caste man to become India's chief justice.

"Even this has caused heartburn among the major communities who fear the Christians will eat into benefits reserved only for them so far," said former World Evangelical Alliance chief Theo Williams.

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The Dalit Freedom Network released a report on the protests and the broadcast attack on Walter Masih.

The organization has more information about the India Supreme Court case about whether Dalit converts can receive affirmative action.

Related articles include:

Spell out stand on quota for Dalit Christians: court | New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the Centre to spell out its stand on granting Scheduled Caste status to Dalit Christians for extending reservation benefits. (The Hindu)

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August 2007, Vol. 51, No. 8