The Supreme Court, on February 21, has agreed to examine a plea by Dalit Christians from Tamil Nadu’s Trichy district, challenging caste-based discrimination within the Roman Catholic Church administration in Kottapalayam Parish.
The petitioners who are residents of Kottapalayam village allege that the Roman Catholic Church administration practices caste-based discrimination by excluding Dalits from participating in annual church festivities and segregating the burial grounds.
A bench of Justices PS Narasimha and Manoj Misra issued notices to the Tamil Nadu government and church authorities and sought their responses by April 15.
TNM had earlier done a detailed ground report in Kottapalayam and Ayyampatti villages in Trichy, and found that Dalit Christians in these villages face severe caste-based discrimination from both dominant caste Christians and Hindus. Despite converting to Christianity, these Dalits continue to face social discrimination in both the village and church.
Efforts to address the discrimination have been met with resistance. In one particular incident, a priest who advocated for caste equality was expelled from the village by caste Christians and Hindus.
Advocate Franklin Caesar Thomas, appearing for the petitioners, stated that Dalit Christians are facing discrimination in day-to-day affairs. “As of date, the petitioners along with other Dalit Catholic Christian community village dwellers are facing… traditional practice of untouchability and the following inhuman, caste-based discrimination because of the caste aggression of the majority dominant caste community,” the plea said.
The petitioners also submitted to the court that they made multiple representations to the district and state authorities, but to no avail.
Earlier, in April 2024, the Madras High Court dismissed their petition, directing them to seek recourse through civil courts and the National Commission for Minorities (NCM).
However, the petitioners argued that the High Court erred in “referring the case to the NCM”, as the Commission lacks the authority to enforce constitutional rights. They also stated that the caste discrimination within church administration is “not a private dispute but a constitutional issue” that warrants judicial intervention.
The petitioners contend that Dalit Christians face exclusion from church administration and are denied equal participation in annual church festivals. They allege that the burial grounds are segregated, and unlike non-Dalit Catholics, they are not allowed to bring their deceased into the church for funeral prayers.
The plea asserts that these discriminatory practices violate fundamental rights guaranteed under Articles 14 (equality before law), 15 (prohibition of discrimination), 17 (abolition of untouchability), 19 (freedom of expression), 21 (right to life and dignity), and 25 (freedom of religion) of the Indian Constitution. The petitioners insist that caste discrimination within church administration is not a private matter but a constitutional issue demanding judicial intervention.
