By DCD Reporter
Eluru, June 9, 2022: Bishop Jayarao Polimera of Eluru and the chairperson for the Telugu Catholic Bishops’ Council, Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes invited the Dalit leaders from the Telugu region to implement the Dalit Empowerment Policy at Bishop’s House, Eluru on June 9, 2022.
Father Bijoy Kumar Nayak the Secretary of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India, Office for Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes was the chief guest at the meeting.
The meeting focused on Dalit involvement in one’s empowerment. Parish Priests should be motivated and made aware of the policy, said Father Nayak.
The Dalit Empowerment Policy of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) was released in December 2016 to eradicate the social evil of caste and to empower the Dalit Catholics in India by Baselios Cardinal Cleemis in New Delhi.
The mega launch of the Dalit Policy took place in Bangalore in January 2017 where eight Catholic Bishops attended it.
The CBCI Dalit Policy was adopted during the chairmanship of CBCI Commission for Scheduled Castes Bishop Neethinathan Anthonisamy of Chingleput and Father Devasagaya Raj M Zackarias, national secretary.
Sister Manju Devarapalli CM, National Secretary of National Dalit Christian Watch, Advocate Franklin Caesar, Supreme Court, Dr Ramesh Babu, Advocate Leela Kumari, and all the diocesan secretaries participated at the meeting.
Besides, as many as 85 leaders from ten dioceses of the Telugu region took part at a-day-long program.
“We are the cream of society. We are well educated and are in a certain status quo in society. We, as Dalits who are empowered, must empower other Dalit brothers and sisters,” insisted Sister Devarapalli.
It was suggested that Religious heads like CRI should be called for a meeting to brief the policy and principals of various educational Institutions should be given awareness and Dalit Policy must be treated like a constitution for the empowering of Dalits in India.