Marching With The Marginalised

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2 Marching with the Marginalised
MARCHING
WITH
THE MARGINALISED
EXPLORATION IN CONTEXTUAL MISSION
ANTHONIRAJ THUMMA
JEEVAN PRINT, HYDERABAD

2012
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MARCHING WITH THE MARGINALISED: EXPLORATION IN CONTEXTUAL MISSION
© Anthoniraj Thumma, 2012
Cover photo courtesy :

Tableau portraying the condition of the Marginalised, taken from
www.ncci.in
Designed & Printed at :

JEEVAN INSTITUTE OF PRINTING
APBC Center
2/3 Sikh Village, Secunderabad
Hyderabad City - 500 009
Andhra Pradesh, India.
Tel: 0091 - 040 – 27892384
E-mail: jeevanpress@yahoo.com
CONTENTS
Foreword v
1. Mission to the Marginalised in Third Millennium 1
2. The Christology of Counter - Culture 31
3. The Commitment to Peace with Justice 72
4. Advancing in Unity through Collective Struggles 102
5. The Promotion of the People’s Theology 116
Publications by the Author 153

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Foreword Marching with the Marginalised
FOREWORD
“I find meaning in living for the people because in
their struggle I find Jesus”, these are the words of Sr.
Valsa John, who was living with the Santhali Adivasis in
one of their houses as their “didi” (elder sister) at the
village of Pachuwara in the State of Jharkhand. She was
brutally murdered by repeated stabbings on the night of
November 15, 2011 reportedly by a mafia group of the
Panem coal mining company for supporting the protests
of the Tribals against the Company for acquiring,
occupying and displacing them from their sacred ancestral
land. It is to carry forward this legacy of solidarity, struggle
and sacrifice, which she and we have received from Jesus,
by marching with the Marginalised, this book is being
brought out.
Hence, the purpose of the book is to remind ourselves

of this legacy and mission, which St Paul was asked to keep
in mind by the Pillars of the Apostles: “They asked only
one thing, that we remember the poor, which was actually
what I was eager to do” (Gal. 2.10). Holy Father Pope
Benedict XVI also urged the Bishops to do the same in his
address to the Latin American and the Caribbean Episcopal
Conferences of on March 25, 2012: “Stand beside those who
are marginalised as the result of force, power or a prosperity
which is blind to the poorest of the poor. The Church cannot
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separate the praise of God from service to others. The one God,
our Father and Creator, has made us brothers and sisters: to
be human is to be a brother and guardian to our neighbour...
The Church must relive and make present what Jesus was: the
Good Samaritan, who came from afar, entered our human
history, lifted us up and sought to heal us”.
The Church in India has re-committed herself to the

mission with the Marginalised led by the Catholic Bishops’
Conference of India (CBCI) during the 30th General Body
Meeting of CBCI on the theme, The Church’s Role for a
Better India, as it is evident from its Message released at
Bengaluru on February 08, 2012:
But the Church does not wish to rest on her laurels.
She recommits herself to being a prophetic Church,
taking a decisive stand in favour of the poor and
marginalized… In spite of the attacks on the Church,
we will continue our work for the disadvantaged and
marginalized, enlisting our doctors, lawyers and other
qualified personnel into their service. In reaching out
to the least and the last of society, the Church portrays
the compassionate face of Christ… Since one of the
major causes of violence is injustice, the Church
commits herself to the liberation of the weaker sections
like tribals, women and dalits. In particular, she wants
to reach out more to unorganized groups like fisher-
people, farmers, migrants, domestic workers, victims
of trafficking and so on… The Church will be a voice
for the voiceless.” (no: 8)
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On March 23, 2012, Pope Benedict XVI while

responding to questions of the journalists during the in-
flight press conference of his journey to Latin America
stated, “Therefore, one great responsibility the Church has
is to educate people to moral responsibility and to unmask
evil, to unmask the idolatry of money which enslaves
man. ... The Church must of course ask if she does enough
for social justice ... It is a question of conscience which
we must always pose ourselves.... What must the Church
do? What can she not do? What must she not do?” The
book in your hand, Marching with the Marginalised:
Exploration in Contextual Mission, attempts to explore
in the context of India relevant answers to those
pertinent questions raised by the Holy Father. In the turn
of the Third Millennium, those queries were posed more
sharply to draw out an action plan for the mission in
India. The articles collected in this book were written
during that period and were published in various books
and periodicals in the last decade. They are reprinted in
this volume revised with the addition of a few updates.
Without claiming to be comprehensive and definitive

statements, the articles in the book attempt to apply the
Values of the Gospel and Principles of the Social Doctrine
of the Church to the Indian context from the perspective
of the Marginalised. While two of the five articles in the
book relate directly with the teachings of the Church,
one article on “peace with justice” and the other on
advancing Christian unity, the remaining three articles
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relate to the People’s Theology that emerges from the

experience and wisdom of the Marginalised. The authour
presents the insights in the articles as suggestions and
proposals for making our mission more relevant and
effective by responding to the signs of the times and
places through catering to the basic needs and human
rights of the Marginalised. They are exploratory in
nature and outcome of the reflections on the pastoral
experience of the authour with the movements of the
Marginalised groups and his learning from them.
Some members of the Church are frustrated that many

plans and proposals made in the statements of the Church
are confined only to the paper without neither being made
known to the Faithful nor put into practice by the Leaders.
Nevertheless, it is pressingly imperative to earnestly
implement the following resolution of the CBCI:
“Recognizing that untouchability and caste discrimination
are contrary to the Gospel of Jesus, we will root out this
evil, wherever it exists, from within the Church and make
concerted efforts to empower dalits. We commit ourselves
to join hands with our dalit brothers and sisters in their
fight for equal rights and the Constitutional benefits which
are denied to them on the basis of religion. We assure the
marginalized and weaker sections that we will do
everything possible to train and equip them for leadership
positions at local, regional and national levels.” (no. 8.7.)
Finally, this book invites all to join the struggles of

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the Oppressed pro-actively and march with the

Marginalised inter-actively for realizing a just equalitarian
peaceful India as advocated by the CBCI: “As leaders of
the Church in India, we re-affirm our commitment to build
up a Better India. We realize that we cannot achieve our
goal in isolation. We invite all sections of the Church,
priests, religious men and women, lay faithful and all men
and women of goodwill to be fully involved in this noble
endeavour… We envision an India with more attributes of
the Kingdom of God such as justice and equity with its
consequent fruits of love, peace and joy (nos. 9, 10).”
The authour is ever grateful to the groups from the

Marginalised people who inspired him, and to the
activists and theologians who enlightened him. He
expresses his gratitude to all those who encouraged him
in bringing out the series of books on the People’s
Theology. In a special way, he wishes to thank the Jeevan
Institute of Printing for publishing the present volume.
Anthoniraj Thumma
APBC Center, Secunderabad,
Easter Sunday, 2012.
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Mission to the Marginalised in Third Millennium
Marching with the Marginalised
MISSION WITH THE MARGINALISED

IN THIRD MILLENNIUM
Introduction: “Mission to” or “Mission with”
The second decade of the Third Millennium has dawned

on us with about a billion people still subjected to deprivation
and discrimination in the world. At this juncture, the struggle for
the rights of the Marginalised, particularly the Dalits, Adivasis
and other oppressed groups, has become an uphill task in India
due to the coalition between the forces of corporate globalization
and Hindutva fascism. While Sangh Parivar’s hegemony
increased in the last decade thrusting its religion, culture,
language, casteist social order, and Hindu Rastra, at the same
time the resistance to their designs and laws is mounting among
the Dalits and other Marginalised.
The scandal of poverty, injustice and inequality in the world

and in India particularly, persisting in the Third Millennium, raises
many questions regarding the Church. Why after two millennia
of Christianity in the world does this situation still continue? Are
Christians who comprise one third of the world population
ineffective? Has the Church been an able instrument of God’s
Reign of love, justice and peace in the world? Has she brought
Jesus Christ’s good news and liberation meaningfully and
effectively to the Marginalised?
This article* while not going into details of the pitfalls of the
past, at the same time keeping them in mind, attempts to find
ways for the Church to be an efficacious sacrament of salvation
and effective instrument of liberation for the suffering millions of
the Marginalised in India, especially the Dalits. The first part of
the article deals with the worsening condition of the Dalits due
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to the reinforcement of the oppressive caste structures by the

Hindutva forces and capitalistic structures by the corporate
globalism. It also elaborates the new forms of deprivations and
discriminations, and further marginalization and deepening
disparity by the process of corporate globalization. The second
part of the article tries to discern the ways and means through
which the Church in India can exercise its mission of
evangelization and liberation in the context of increasing
oppression of the Dalits and other Marginalised. The Church
has come to realize that the Holy Spirit is carrying out the
mission in the lives and struggles of the Marginalised. The
Mission belongs to God (Misso Dei) and the dynamic
presence of the Risen Lord is at work building up the Reign
of God through his saving deeds and liberative actions.
Therefore, the Church needs to listen and discern the mission
of God already present in the Marginalised by entering into
dialogue with them and carry it forward by collaborating with
them in partnership.
1.0. Context of the Dalits in Third Millennium
1.1. Historical Domination
Caste system has entered its fourth millennium. Last three

thousand years it has been the most dominating factor of the
Indian society entrenched in the collective consciousness of
the people as an ideology of inequality. Every aspect of the
social life, organization of society, human relations, and
interaction between peoples’ groups, social status, social roles
and social participation is determined by caste. Although caste
system brought close knit kinship within each jati, because of
the strictly enforced endogamous marriage stipulation and
solidarity within a caste group, it has been a divisive force in the
larger society promoting the exclusivism of other jatis.
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The varna ideology of inequality superimposed over the

existing jatis, by the Brahminic Hinduism on the basis of religious
justification forced them to accede superiority to the Brahmins.
As Dr. B. R. Ambedkar explains: “The root of Untouchability is
caste system, the root of the caste system is religion attached
to varna and ashram, and the root of varnashram is Brahminical
religion, and the root of Brahminical religion is authoritarianism
or political power. Untouchability is only as extended form of
caste and, therefore, without abolition of caste there is no hope
of abolition of untouchability.”1 Thus, the avarna Sudras were
subjugated to the status of the servants while the Dalits were
victimized as slaves. The Indian form of Slavery, imposed
untouchability, impurity, social segregation, economic
deprivation and powerlessness, and denied human dignity,
equality, human rights, social status, fulfillment of basic needs,
property and education. Another ideology of karmasamsara was
used to justify and accept the slave status of the Dalits as the
result of their previous birth and to teach the impossibility of
getting out of this cycle of birth if one were not to follow the
jatidharma.
The divisive caste system with these hegemonic ideological

mechanisms of varnashrama, karmasamsara, and jatidharma
is operative as a cancerous virus within the history of India
adapting itself to the changing situation in every period of time.
Caste has been the single factor in Indian society for

the past three thousand years which has created and
sustained a graded inequality in all aspects of life –
dictating the participation, access to opportunities,
benefits and power of different caste groups. It underpins
and operates the religious, cultural, social, economic and
political system in Indian society. Historically, each
political system that evolved – from the Princely state,
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to Muslim rule, to Western Colonial rule to the present

Democratic system – has based itself on the caste
system, accommodated itself to the caste hierarchy and
finally ended up strengthening the political power of the
dominant caste individuals and communities. 2
1.2. Post-Independent continuation of Discrimination

Sixteen four years have passed after the hopeful dawn of
Independence. Yet, the hopeless situation of the Dalits continues
with exclusion, exploitation and marginalization. The Indian
Constitution based on the principles of liberty, equality and
fraternity, is still to fulfill its promise of social, economic, political
freedom for all citizens. The affirmative and protective measures
that it offers to the Dalits are yet to be fully implemented due to
the lack of political will. The Human Rights Watch Report 1999,
New York, clearly states:
Untouchability was abolished under India’s Constitution
in 1950. Yet entire villages in many Indian states remain
completely segregated by caste, in what has been called
“hidden apartheid”. Untouchables, or Dalits – the name
literally means “broken” people – may not enter the
higher-caste sections of villages, may not use the same
wells, wear shoes in the presence of upper castes, visit
the same temples, drink from the same cups in tea stalls,
or lay claim to land that is legally theirs. Dalit children
are frequently made to sit in the back of classrooms.
Dalit villagers have been the victims of many brutal
massacres in recent years. Untouchability is not an
ancient cultural artifact, it is human rights abuse.3
Even in this Third Millennium close to million Dalits are

forced to engage in manual scavenging for their survival in Indian
states. As R.V. Pillai, former Secretary General of National
Human Rights Commission admitted in 1998, “It is in fact a
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national shame that as we march into the 21 Century as a nuclear

power, we have fellow citizens in the national capital, having to
carry manually human excreta, as a part of the capital’s
sanitation arrangement, and as a means of livelihood.”4 Despite
the launching of a National Scheme for Liberation and
Rehabilitation of Scavengers in 1992, and the National
Commission through Safai Karamcharis Act, 1993, this ignoble
practice continues.
Growing Dalit struggles for equality and human rights, and

the increasing Dalit assertion of their dignity and identity result
in the mounting atrocities and attacks on them. Even for skinning
a dead cow, the Sangh Parivar and VHP activists with the
connivance of the police lynched to death five innocent Dalit
young men on October 15, 2003 at Jhajjar in Haryana. Close to
100 Dalits and Adivasis who are Christians were killed, and
thousands attacked and rendered homeless through burning of
their villages at Khandamal district during the “Orissa Pogrom”
perpetrated by them in 2007. Every hour nearly 3 crimes and
atrocities are committed on the Dalits all over India in spite of
the SC, ST Prevention of Atrocities Act of 1989. Besides the
use of social boycott, physical injury, murder, house burning
and other forms of terror, the rape of Dalit women is employed
by the upper castes to demoralize Dalits and put down their
protest movements. “Rape is a political instrument of subjugation
in the hands of dominant castes. Each time a Dalit, who dared
to raise his voice in protest, had to be ‘put in place’ and ‘taught
a lesson’, the women become the target.”5 The analysis of the
data from the periodical reports of the National Commission for
SCs and STs reveals on an average 150 rape cases are
registered in a year or one in every 60 hours.6
Among the Dalits, nearly half of them are below the poverty
line; more than one fourth of them do not have access to safe
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drinking water; hardly 10% of them have proper sanitation, and

30% have meager electricity connection. Due to malnutrition
and lack of health care facilities, the infant mortality rate among
the Dalits is very high at 91 per 1000 live births. The lower income
and lack of purchasing power of the Dalits make close to 60%
of the mothers and children undernourished.
The literacy level among the Dalits is still very low at 37.41%
and in the women Dalits it is only 23.75%. At the primary level
of education, the enrolment of Dalit children is lower than 20%,
their dropout rate is almost 50% and in the middle level close to
70% and in the secondary level nearly 80%, and the drop out rate
of Dalit girls is still higher. Most of them study in the government
schools where the standards are low and proper school buildings,
teachers and resources are lacking. Even in the government
schools and colleges, the discrimination of the Dalit students
continues in the old as well as in newer forms of the contemporary
casteism as witnessed in the recent rustication of Dalit
students in the Hyderabad Central University. Reservations
for the students and especially in the staff are not filled up fully
due to the designs of the dominant groups.
The basic human rights to food and livelihood, education,

employment and health care are yet to be realized for the majority
of the Dalits. The Constitutional provision of reservation in
education and employment for Dalits to give them equal
opportunities has not been fully implemented because of the
conspiracy of the powerful. In the union government services,
75% of the officer level jobs reserved for the Dalits are still vacant;
in the other categories of government services and the banks
about 50% are unfilled; and in the public sector more than 80%
are not filled up. At the top level of professors, managers, judges,
etc., hardly 1% of Dalits are found. The example of Andhra
Pradesh is revealing: In 1998 a writ petition was filled in the
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High Court for not filling 37, 649 reserved posts when the
Employment Exchanges had registered 2,60, 000 SC and ST
candidates. On the whole only 3-4% Dalit employment under
reservations takes place.
Another data is more shocking: the Brahmins who are

about 5% of the Indian population garner 70% of the share of all
Class I services. This shows that the hierarchical pattern of
caste system is entrenched in the post-independent India. The
benefits of the government posts and resources have accrued
to the upper castes in accordance with their caste status, neither
in proportion to their population nor in proportion to their economic
condition of deprivation. Still worse, their hold on the government
services has given to the Brahmins and other dominant castes
not only the benefits of salary and status but also power, control,
influence and access to other resources.
1.3. Further Marginalization under Corporate Globalism
The process of globalization in India has disproved the

myth of neutrality of the market, trade liberalization and
technological development. New forms of caste discrimination,
exclusion, divisions, tensions and atrocities have taken shape.
Privatization and structural adjustment have widened the gap
between the Dalits and the dominant castes. Market not only
favours the rich with their capital, in India it is also dictated
by the social hierarchy of the dominant castes who is to wield
the political power and influence. Hence, the Dalits are
excluded from the globalization process, which liberalizes
capital and trade but not labour. The cheap labour of the Dalits
and other working classes is further exploited in newer ways
leading to more disparity and deprivation. Homogenization
of consumer culture promoted by the global media
jeopardizes the subaltern culture of the Dalits. The ethical
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values of justice, equality, sense of community, concern for

the needy and sharing are replaced by the materialistic values
of money, profit, competition, individualism, consumerism
and hedonism. The anamnesis of the poor and the
marginalized groups is on the increase. They do not count
anymore in the rapid high-tech changes and the rush of the bull
runs of the capital share markets.
From 1991, with the introduction of New Economic Policy

(NEP), India entered the period of corporate globalization. The
most devastating aspect of this Liberlization-Privatisation-
Globalization (LPG) process with regard to the Dalits and other
Backward Classes is the withdrawal of the State from their
development. The active participation of the Indian government
as the welfare state in the promotion of growth with justice and
socio-economic progress of the weaker sections of the society
is gradually getting reduced. For the sake of speedy entrance into
the global market the structural adjustment programme (SAP) and
the World Bank, IMF and WTO conditions were put in place
discarding the social policies and dismantling the welfare measures.
The Dalits and the deprived are left to the mercy of the market
forces, which are cruel and predatory. Their accessibility to the
sources of survival and livelihood is being lost.
Due to government’s present focus on profit in the market

and through the export, the industry and service sectors got a
boost to the detriment of the agricultural sector on which depend
75% of the Dalits as marginal farmers and wage earning landless
agricultural laborers. Land reforms and land distribution are
almost given up, while big farms, corporate farming, leasing land
to the MNCs, mechanization in agriculture, and exports of food
grain are encouraged. Investments in agriculture and subsidies
are getting reduced. Government agricultural policy and labour
policy are yet to formulated in line with the people’s needs in the
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unfolding conditions. All these coupled with adverse weather

conditions have led to the increase of landless workers in the
rural population by 2002 to 40 per cent. Their number grew from
7.46 crores in 1991 to 10.74 crores in 2001. But the availability
of agricultural working days in a year is steadily decreasing
from 123 in 1981, to 100 in 1991, to 78 in 2001, and to 72 in
2003. Consequently casual labour in the urban areas, child
labour, and migration are on the increase among the Dalits.
“India is shining” (BJP’s 2004 election campaign slogan)

now for the elite with high-tech economic advancement, with
the GDP growth rate of 8%, foreign exchange reaching $300
billion, over 60 million tons of food grain stocks, Sensex crossing
18000 mark, and large availability of consumer goods. Sadly,
this “feel good” factor has not percolated to the Dalits and other
marginalized groups. About 10 million tons of grain was exported
recently with prices lower than found in the Indian market and in
the PDS, receiving more than Rs. 800 crores government
subsidy when every day 5000 children, most of them Dalits
and Adivasis, die of malnutrition. Presently, one-third of the
world’s hungry population, around 840 million, is found in India.
India has the highest number of the poor and the illiterates than
any other country in the world. Lack of employment,
landlessness, non-implementation of minimum wages, and
mismanagement of the PDS system are the main reasons for
this perturbing situation.
Privatization process is depriving the Dalits of the

government reservations. They neither have capital of their own
nor are provided by the Finance Corporations and Banks, except
a handful, for self-employment. The gradual withdrawal of the
government and the introduction of privatization in the provision
of education, health care, drink water, housing, sanitation and
other basic services badly affected the lives of the Dalits.
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According to the government statistics the decadal reduction in

the health care budget is from 1.3% of GDP in 1992 to 0.9% in
2002. More than 80% of the health care costs is met by the
people since India has the most privatized health care system
in the world. The facts that only about 40% of Primary Health
Centres have some staff and only 30% have some supplies
show the appalling situation of healthcare system in our country.
Similarly, education is being commodified and getting
commercialized. The Dalits and other Marginalised can ill afford
the exorbitant cost of private education; they cannot dream of
entering the portals of corporate colleges.
Those most affected by the process of globalization are

the women, including the girl children, who are the Dalits among
the Dalits. The shameful event of stampede that killed 25 Dalit
women just for a saree that costs about Rs. 25/- in Lucknow in
the constituency of former Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee during
the election campaign in March 2004 glaringly reveals their plight.
Some of them are forced into prostitution while some others are
unable to liberate themselves from the bondages of devadasi /
jogini system of temple prostitution. Manual scavenging continues
to be the lot of tens of thousands, while many are working as the
modern latrines cleaners and street sweepers under the contract
system. Domestic labour for millions of Dalit women is the new
form of bonded labour and slavery. When the just wages are denied
to the Dalits in general, women Dalits are deprived of equal wages
along with the Dalit men too. Ruth Manorama of National Federation
of Dalit Women states: “Dalit women are being increasingly pushed
into the most exploitative jobs like scavenging and also exposed
to violence, including sexual harassment by the upper castes.”7
As the result of explosion of visual media in the form of global
multiple channels the sexual violence and rape on women are on
the increase assuming newer patterns of child rapes and gang
rapes using cruel methods.
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In short, as Prof. Thorat of Jawaharlal Nehru University,

Director, International Institute of Dalit Studies, surmises:
“Structural adjustment programmes are reversing the economic
policies of India that were built up as a result of national
movement… Dalits are at the crossroads with the reversal of
minimum support policy of reservation, affecting the working
and health conditions of the marginalized.”8 As mentioned above,
globalization is not merely an economic system; it is a new
ethical and cultural system that promotes a different
developmental paradigm. In the words of Prof. Balachander
Mungekar, former Vice-Chancellor of Mumbai University,
“Globalization is not only as economic policy or technological
development; it is also as alternative development paradigm
that is in every manner is against the interests of Dalits, the
poor and marginalized groups.”9
1.4. The Onslaught of Hindutva Fascism
Hindu religious fundamentalism led by the Sangh Parivar

with its ideology of Hindutva is nothing else but Neo-Brahmanism
as globalization itself is neo-liberalism and neo-colonialism. They
are, respectively, new avatars of casteist Brahmanism and
capitalist liberalism. While the former promotes religious
communal fundamentalism, the latter enforces materialistic
market fundamentalism. The disastrous aspect of contemporary
India is that, here both these are happily married and
successfully cohabit. The period of BJP led NDA rule witnessed
the terrible outcome this phenomenon of neo-liberal Hindu
fundamentalism reaching its climax as Hindu fascism in the event
of Gujarat carnage and genocide. It all began as hate campaign
and divisive force in the time of Independent movement claiming
the racist Aryan nationalistic Hindu Rashtra marginalizing the
Minorities, Dravidian and other religious and ethnic groups.
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To preserve the varnashrama dharma, shuddi movement

was launched in order to bring back the Dalits under its
hegemony. While this is being continued now, the ceremony of
garh viyapsi, “home-return”, is being forced upon the Adivasis.
The Hindu nationalists are propagating the theory of single Aryan
ethnic origin of all the peoples’ groups in India to wipe out the
multi-cultural ethnic fabric of Indian civilization which is a
pluralistic confluence of diverse ethnic races, cultures,
languages and religions. History is being re-written by them to
prove the pure Aryan origin of Indians, though the genetic
evidence from the research centers has disproved this theory.
Anti-conversion laws are being passed and implemented

in the states where BJP and its allies are in power with the view
to prevent the Dalits and other marginalized groups joining other
religions that are egalitarian in their doctrine. The case of
tonsuring of seven Dalit women, who refused to return to Hindu
religious fold in the village of Kilpal, Jagatsinghpur district, in the
state of Orissa on Feb. 10, 2004 is a clear manifestation of the
Hindu fascism. The religious and social workers Graham Steins,
Rani Maria, Arul Raj and Valsa John that served among the
Dalits and Adivasis are cruelly murdered for conscientizing them
of their dignity, equality, identity and human rights. The ultimate
goal is to consolidate, preserve and promote the hegemonic
Hindu Social Order of Brahmanic dominance with the political
power and privileges.
The manipulation of Indian Census that record all Dalits

and Adivasis and those not belonging to Minorities as Hindus is
part of this power struggle and number game. While Adivasis
and Dalits protest asserting that they practice their own religious
traditions of Adidharam, they are still registered as Hindus to
claim majority. The denial of constitutional rights to those Dalits
who embrace Christianity and Islam is part of the Hindu
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conspiracy for keeping them under the Hindu domination and

preventing their liberation. For, the mass conversion movements
that occurred before the dawn of Independence were in fact
liberation movements of the Dalits from the shackles of
Brahmanic oppression. The Presidential Order 19 of 1950 must
be seen in the light of that historical context. It is a blot on the
Indian Constitution that guarantees the fundamental rights of
freedom of conscience and religious freedom to all its citizens.
It also sanctions discrimination on the basis of religion
contradicting the Constitution.
1.5. Dalit Assertion and Protest Movements
Resistance to the inhuman monstrous caste system has

been going on in some form or other even from the time of the
Aryan invasion. The Buddhist movement in the ancient times
pioneered anti-caste struggle. Other non-Brahmanic religious
traditions were imbued with ant-caste elements. The Bhakti
movements led by the Siddas, Ravi Das, Achutananda, Basava,
Guru Nanak, Narayana Guru, and poet–saints like Kabir and
Vemana were to some extent exposed the inegalitarian aspects
of varna system by reiterating the universal brotherhood and
sisterhood of all humans under the parenthood of God. But the
modern reform movements of Mahatma Jyothirao Phule and
Periyar E.V. Ramasamy Naicker struck the first blow to the
Brahmanic Social Order. Both the Satya Sodak Movement and
Self-Respect Dravidian Movement led respectively by them
challenged the domination of the Brahmins and Hinduism while
advocating “the sons of the soil” theory against them.10
Babasaheb Dr. B. R. Ambedkar was the fist Dalit to launch

a Dalit movement by the Dalits themselves to counter the caste
system and its Hindu religious base from 1930s. Through the
multiple methods of awareness building, mobilization, educational
25
institutions, publications, political party formations,

representations to the government, social reform, religious
conversion to Buddhism, constitutional guarantees and
reservations, Dr. Ambedkar led the Dalit liberation movement.
His followers try to carry forward his movement through various
Ambedkarian associations, voluntary organizations, people’s
movements like Dalit Mahasaba and Dalit Sangharsana Samiti,
political parties like the RPI, BSP and DPI, Dalit forums in the
state and national levels, and networks like National Campaign
for Dalit Human Rights and National Federation of Dalit
Women.11
The UN World Conference against Racism, Racial

Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance (WCAR)
held in 2001 at Durban, South Africa, provided an invaluable
opportunity for the Dalit groups in India to bring the casteist
discrimination and hidden apartheid to the attention of the
international community. Many hard efforts at advocacy,
lobbying and networking before and after Durban Conference
bore fruit finally in the acknowledgement of United Nations’
Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
(UNCERD) through its General Recommendation XXIX on
Discrimination based on Descent dated August 23, 2002:
“Strongly affirming the discrimination based on descent includes
discrimination against members of communities based on forms
of social stratification such as caste and analogous systems of
inherited status which nullify or impair their equal enjoyment of
human rights.” 12 Hence this UN Committee members, “strongly
condemn descent-based discrimination, such as discrimination
on the basis of caste and analogous systems of inherited status,
as a violation of the Convention.”13
As the spin off of the WCAR at Durban, the Madhya

Pradesh Government organized Bhopal Conference in January
26
2002, bringing together the Dalit activists and academics. Bhopal

Declaration included the socio-economic rights and programmes
besides the civic and political rights. It addressed the new
challenges of privatization of education and employment that
impinge on the reservations. Another spin off of the Durban
Conference is the formation of the International Dalit Solidarity
Network with units in many countries. These units not only lobby
with their governments on the Dalit human rights, they have
also exposed the global phenomenon of caste present in their
own countries especially in Asian and African continents. The
Asian Social Forum held at Hyderabad in 2002 and the World
Social Forum in 2004 at Mumbai witnessed the action of the
national and international Dalit solidarity groups. These events
kept alive the struggles of the Dalits and provided platforms to
the Dalit victims to make their voices heard by the world
community. Different Dalit struggles are still on at the state,
national, and international levels for their basic human rights,
for the effective implementation of the policies meant for their
promotion and for the strict enforcement of the legislations meant
for their protection.
2.0. Model and Mission of the Church

2.1. Shaping the New Image of the Church
The vision of the Church as the communion of equal
disciples of Jesus Christ is yet to be fully realized in the parishes
and dioceses of India. These are not very different from the
larger society in which they exist. The social stratification of the
Indian social system ingrained with the inegalitarian casteist
patriarchal structure also forms the base of the Christian
communities. While this social reality of the Church may look
normal for many, it is inhuman, unchristian and unecclesial. As
the CBCI stated in 1998:
27
The prevalence of the caste system, not only in society

but also in some parts of the Church in India even at the
close of the twentieth century, is a matter of shame and
disgrace to all of us. It is a cause of sorrow and
expression of our inability to live our Christian faith
adequately. It is not only a denial of human dignity and
equality but also against the fundamental teaching of
Christ who was friend of the outcasts of His time, and
freely mixed with them… The early Christians
manifested their faith in Christ by being a community of
love without discrimination of any member based on
race, language or economic or social status.14
The image of the Church in India in the Third Millennium

needs to be shaped on this model of first Christian community
of fellowship and equality.15 In the words of the CBCI: “Following
the example of the first Christians who shared generously with
the poor, we should make personal and institutional sacrifices;
whatever they may cost us, for the poor, the Dalits and the
Tribals of today. Only then will we become truly the Church of
the poor. This is the New Way of Being Church that we want to
usher in as we enter the third millennium.”16
2.2. Transformative Evangelizing Mission
Evangelization includes both dialogical proclamation and

liberative transformation. The content of proclamation is the
Gospel of Jesus Christ on the Reign on God offered as good
news to the poor and the oppressed to free them from all
bondages. Often, this essence of the Gospel is absent in
preaching and catechism. The challenge of Jesus to repent and
give up our evil ways of thinking and living is absent in our
evangelizing. The egalitarian attitudinal change that transforms
the individual’s heart and the inclucivistic social change that
28
transforms the community are missing during the conversion.

The conversion phenomenon is seen more as change of religion
than change heart and life in the reign of God. Often evangelizers
forget to insist that casteist and patriarchal tendencies are
against the Gospel of Jesus. As the CBCI affirms, “He came to
tell humankind that we are brothers and sisters having God as
our common Father. The core of the Gospel consists in this
perfect reconciliation and fellowship… If our Christian
communities are divided and discriminated on the basis of caste
we cannot affirm in truthfulness that the Gospel has touched
our life, and that we are the disciples of Christ even if we
celebrate our worship devotedly and proclaim our faith
correctly.”17
The content of preaching and catechetical instruction must

include the teaching of Jesus on the universal brotherhood and
equality of the disciples, and the social doctrine of Church based
on this fundamental dogma, namely the sinfulness of caste
discrimination. The CBCI has made this point amply clear and
recommended it among the measures to be implemented as
part of its action programme:
Hence, discrimination against anybody on the basis of

caste is a sin against God and humanity. This needs to
be proclaimed from the housetops so that the caste
system will be removed from the Christian community
totally… The church must take a clear stand against
caste discrimination and declare it a sin. This must be
taught in catechism and homilies and any form of
discrimination must be completely stopped, wherever it
exists, be it among the priests, in religious communities,
in practices of selection of candidates for priesthood and
religious life, and in the sphere of administration.18
29
Evangelization in India entails the transformation of unjust

inegalitarian structures like the oppressive economic disparity,
and the dominant caste and patriarchal hierarchy, in accordance
with the values and practices of the Reign of God. Through
proclamation of the Gospel values of Jesus Christ we need to
bring about a change of mindset and attitude towards one another
based on the basic Christian belief of the dignity of all humans
as the children of God created in His image and likeness. This
ought to lead to the removal of the superiority complex among
the so called “upper castes” and the inferiority complex in the
so called “lower castes” and the Dalits in particular. The
Church’s mission in India entails creating a new society based
on the Reign of God where everyone is accepted as brother or
sister under the common parenthood of God, and where
everyone enjoys a just share of the resources of God’s creation
and human production.
2.3. Offering Effective Witness
Tensions witnessed in many parishes between the Dalit

Christians and other Christians manifest the underlying
differences in the understandings of the Gospel, evangelization,
mission, salvation and the Church itself. Purely other-worldly,
spiritualistic, ritual-centered pietistic understanding, and not the
understanding of the Reign of God in the world that calls for
transformation of the persons and structures including the caste-
system, was present in most of the earlier missionaries and is
still seen in many present evangelizers and pastors. The
converts and traditional Christians have imbibed the same
understanding and so resist any move to change the caste-
ridden practices and customs within the Church. Many
Christians are yet to be convinced that caste discrimination is
sinful as the CBCI declared already in 1982.19
30
The caste tensions and conflicts within the Christian

communities which are divided on caste lines, are scandals
that give an anti-Christian witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ
in India, “What India needs is precisely this witness of Christian
love. Our evangelizing mission looses its efficacy if our Christian
communities forget this image, which is specific to Christianity, for
Jesus said, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples,
if you have love for one another” (John 13, 35).”20 Pope John Paul
II in his Encyclical, On the Permanent Missionary Mandate of the
Church, writing on the spirituality of the missionary insists on being
an impartial lover making a reference to caste, perhaps for the
time in an Encyclical by any Pope:
The missionary is “the universal brother” bearing in

himself the Church’s spirit, her openness to and interest
in all peoples and individuals, especially the least and
poorest of his brethren. As such, he overcomes barriers
and divisions of race, caste, or ideology. He is a sign of
God’s love in the world – love without exclusion or
partiality. (Redemptoris Missio: no. 89)
In the Apostolic Letter, The Church in Asia, the Pope

declares that promotion of communion is the mission of the
Church in Asia, which though is enriched by the plurality of
cultures, religions and ethnic groups, is also wounded by the
conflicts among them (Ecclesia in Asia: no.24). He also painfully
makes a mention of millions of suffering Asian people due to various
forms of exploitation and discrimination particularly including the
caste discrimination (Ecclesia in Asia: no.34). Promotion of
communion and solidarity within the Church is the essential
condition to effectively discharge the mission of communion.
Hence, the Pope advises the Church in Asia / India to be united
by removing all forms of divisions including the caste divisions:
The Bishops present at the Synod acknowledged that

even today within and among the particular Churches in
31
Asia there are sometimes unfortunate divisions, often

connected with ritual, linguistic, ethnic, caste and
ideological differences. Some wounds have been
partially healed, but there is not yet full healing…
wherever communion is weakened the Church’s witness
and missionary work suffer… (Ecclesia in Asia: no.26)
In his Message to the Bishops of Tamilnadu on November

17, 2003 during their ad limna visit, Pope John Paul II again
laments on the caste division in the Indian society and the
Church, which hinders the spirit of human solidarity and the
promotion of communion by the Church. He denounces
forthrightly “the unjust system of caste division which denies
the human dignity of entire groups of people.”21
In this regard, I repeat what I said during my first visit to
your country: “Ignorance and prejudice must be replaced
by tolerance and understanding. Indifference and class
struggle must be turned into brotherhood and committed
service. Discrimination based on race, colour, creed,
sex or ethnic origin must be rejected as totally
incompatible with human dignity.” (Homily delivered at
the Mass in Indira Gandhi Stadium, New Delhi on
February 02, 1986).”22
While commending the past exemplary efforts of the Tamil

Nadu Bishops’ Conference, the Pope admonishes the Bishops
to bring about reform in the Church and show special attention
to the Dalits. He reiterates that casteism in the Church is a
countersign and obstacle to the evangelizing mission:
At all times, you must continue to make certain that

special attention is given to those belonging to the lowest
castes, especially the Dalits. They should never be
segregated from other members of society. Any
32
semblance of a caste-based prejudice in relations

between Christians is a countersign to authentic human
solidarity, a threat to genuine spirituality and a serious
hindrance to the Church’s mission of evangelization.
Therefore, customs or traditions that perpetuate or
reinforce caste division should be sensitively reformed
so that they may become an expression of the solidarity
of the whole Christian community.23
2.4. Ministry of Healing and Spiritual Empowerment
Healing “the wounded psyche” of the Dalits, as Bishop M.

Azariah insists, is one of the important elements of the Church’s
ministry to them.24 Dr. B. R. Ambedkar had regretted that the
Dalits converted to Christianity are not psychologically
empowered. They remain in the same state of consciousness as
before marked by inferiority complex and inflicted by the
psychological consequences of the ideology of karma-samsara.
Often, they become still worse due to the imposition of “original
sin” on them, and by labeling them “sinners” as K. Wilson points
out.25 Hence, there needs to be more emphasis on the dignity and
liberty of the Children of God, the liberation brought about by Jesus
Christ, and the empowerment effected by the Holy Spirit.
The spiritual and psychological empowerment of the Dalits

come about by liberating them from the state of sinfulness, guilt-
feeling, false consciousness of karma-samsara, magical and
imposed consciousness, inferiority complex, fatalism,
hopelessness, superstitions, fear of evil spirits, and bondages
of other powers. Dalits also need to be liberated from the mind-
set of casteism and caste mentality that leads them to the
conflictual consciousness, attitude of superiority and behavior
of domination over other Dalit jatis and Adivasis. They tend to
imitate the upper caste landlords as their models and try to
33
suppress the weaker ones among them. Positively and

constructively, the psycho-spiritual empowerment would consist
in instilling faith, hope and love, courage and self-confidence,
positive self-image, self-respect and dignity, will power and
motivation, and equality and identity. These will make the Dalits
the masters of their own destiny and make them proactively
respond to the present unjust situation with critical
consciousness marked by Gospel values and build up the Reign
of God of peace, justice and fellowship.
2.5. Empowerment through Education and Employment
The role of education in the social, economic and cultural

empowerment of the Dalits cannot be underestimated as Dr. B.
R. Ambedkar, the liberator of the Dalits, affirmed:
I firmly believe in the efficacy of education as a panacea
for our social evils. The problem of lower order in this
country is not only economic but also cultural. It is not
enough to house them, feed them and then to leave them
to serve the higher classes, as was the ancient ideal of
this country. It is even more necessary to remove from
them that feeing of inferiority which has stunted their
growth and made them slaves of others and to create in
them a consciousness of significances of life for
themselves and for their country, of which they have
been cruelly robbed by the current social order of this
country. I am convinced that nothing can achieve this
except the spread of higher education. 26
Church in India whose members are hardly 2% of the Indian

population contributes 20% of the services in the field of
education. An estimated four million students every year pass
out of Christian educational institutions. Unfortunately, the
Catholic educational ministry has not fully benefited the Dalits
and Adivasis. As mentioned above, being child laborers and
34
domestic workers, some of the Dalit Children never attend the

schools. Due to poverty and other difficulties and social
practices, most of them drop out at the primary and secondary
levels. Only 2% of the Dalits manage to reach the college level.
Added to this situation, in the last two decades most of the
schools and colleges opened by the dioceses and especially
by the religious congregations are of English medium, situated
in the cities and towns which are not affordable to the Dalits and
other Marginalised. All these facts call for a serious review of
Catholic educational ministry with a focus on empowering the
Dalits and other weaker sections. As the CBCI proposed in
1998, “Our institutional services must cater increasingly to the
poor and there must be reservations both in admission and in
employment for the Dalits and Tribals.”27
2.6. Political Ministry - the Need of the Hour
The Church in India, as most of the Presidents and Prime

Ministers and other leaders have gratefully acknowledged and
acclaimed, has contributed to the development of the people
educationally and to some extent economically. Close to 25%
of all the health care, social welfare and development activities
undertaken in India is contributed by the Christian community.
While economic empowerment is basic and much more could
be done in that regard through self-employment programmes
and self-helf groups, the Church has not grasped the fact that
political empowerment is the key to the progress of the Dalits
and other Marginalised as Dr. B. R. Ambedkar has made it clear:
“Political power in this country has too long been the monopoly
of a few and the many are not only beasts of burden, but also
beasts of prey. The Government of India must be shared by the
Hindus, Muslims and the Untouchables and if the scheduled
castes do not get a proper share in the conduct of the National
Government, they should launch a struggle to achieve the
objective.”28
35
The need of the hour is the political ministry. The Church

has neglected this ministry too long and has not played its
prophetic role in this field. The reasons for this may be minority
complex, institutionalization, ghetto mentality, exclusivist culture
and the fear of loosing external aid. But, the recent attacks on
the Christians and other Minorities, especially the Gujarat
carnage and Orissa pogrom have revealed that political power
is essential to counter the clout of Sangh Parivar. Similarly, the
struggles of the human rights groups, people’s movements and
campaigns for Equal Rights of the Dalit Christians, Minority
Rights in the fields of education and health, Women’s Rights,
Domestic Worker’s Rights, Child Rights and such issues in
which Christian and voluntary groups are involved have clearly
shown the indispensability of political power to succeed.
Christian communities and the institutional Churches, including
the CBCI and the Regional Catholic Bishops’ Councils, have
begun to show political awareness and participation in the
elections.
Nevertheless, the Church has very far to go in the political

empowerment of the Dalits and Christian communities. Hence,
the politicization of the mission of the Church is an urgent task.
It calls for the exercise of prophetic model of ministry, which
denounces the injustices and evils of the rulers and the powerful
and announces the hope of the God’s Reign and its liberation.
Political ministry involves enlightenment, empowerment and
enablement of the Marginalised through conscientization,
motivation and mobilization. Political awareness, political analysis
and political action would come about if the victims realize what
Dr. B. R. Ambedkar tells the Dalits:
You are made to suffer wants, privations and
humiliations not because it was preordained by the sins
committed in your previous birth but because of the
overpowering tyranny and treachery of those who are
36
above you. You have no lands because others usurped

them; you have no posts because others have
monopolized them. Do not believe in fate. Believe in your
strength.29
The politicization of the mission is ultimately to realize the

Reign of God in the present society by infusing the values of
service and justice. The civilization of love and peace cannot
come about without Church’s involvement in politics. To begin
with, all the members of the Church including the clergy and
religious must behave as responsible citizens and patriotically
exercise their franchise without fail and urge the laity also to do
the same. Christians must become politically conscious and
realize the powerful role that politics plays in the present society
as powerful as religion once did. They must grow in political
awareness keeping abreast of the political developments in the
States and the country.
Today the Church in India is challenged to evolve an

“alternative politics” in collaboration with the activists and
academia that is looking for a change in the present form of
political process. The murky electoral politics in India that is
marked by money and muscle power has now worsened due
to the globalization process and the Hindutva politics. At present
criminalization, casteisation, corruption, communalization, and
corporatization dominate Indian politics. In this situation, the
Church must redeem Indian politics and save it from the evils
mentioned above by condemning them as vehemently as Jesus
denounced Herod as “fox”. In addition to that, the Church must
participate in the electoral reform movements.
Political parties in India have become markets were the

capitalists trade for parliamentary or assembly seats, not only
for themselves for their kith and kin as well. The upper castes-
37
classes can purchase them in another market when denied by

one party. Similarly, they also try to buy votes. After the elections
follows the horse-trading. The weaker sections, Women and
the Minorities are denied of their due share of parliamentary
and assembly seats in proportion to their population as the
representative form of governance would demand. So, the
Church must train and enable service-minded lay women and
men to take up political ministry by contesting in the elections
and by exercising their role fruitfully as people’s representatives.
In some places, some beginning has been made at the local
Panchayati level. This political empowerment process has to
move up to the Assembly and Parliamentary constituency
levels. To bring about social justice and strengthen secular
democracy, The Church in India with its members and other
Christians, other Minorities, Dalits, Adivasis and other
Marginalised must build up a strong pressure group, and if need
be, a powerful vote bank.
2.7. Struggles for Social Justice and Secularism
Dalit and human rights groups express their appreciation

of the Church for its service - mindedness. However, they are
unable to understand the fact that the leaders and members of
the Church in general desist from getting involved in their
struggles for justice. This may be due to the comfortable lifestyle
and institutionalized life of the bishops, priests and religious that
makes them unwilling to make sacrifices and take the trouble. It
happens more due to the charity, relief, welfare and
developmental models of the ministry that the Church in India is
accustomed to. The bishops, priests and religious are more
prone to such social service ministries than the human rights
ministry. Though, most of the social encyclicals and the Social
Doctrine of the Church in general lately have taken the human
rights approach insisting on the dignity and rights of the humans
especially of the powerless, it has not seeped into the minds
38
and hearts of the Catholics. This change in the mindset and the
ministry of the Church in India is urgently called for. Only then,
the Church can join the struggles of the Dalits in the local, national
and international levels, and at the UN bodies to realize the
Dalit human rights of the Dalits and the Marginalised.
The Church leaders and groups need to take up or join the

movements for the elimination of untouchability, manual
scavenging, devadasi / jogini system, bonded labour, child labour
and other such systems of caste discrimination. They must
participate in the movements for land reforms, just wages and
employment, in the struggles for identity and equality and in the
efforts for social justice. The Church must intensify the
movement for the equal rights of the Dalit Christians networking
with other Dalit and Human Rights groups. She needs to also
support the search of the Dalits for their roots, identity and history
and foster their folk culture and art forms. Dalit Theology and
People’s Theologies must be encouraged and made part of the
syllabus in the theological faculties and formation houses. These
issues should not to be left to few individuals, organizations
and the SC ST BC Commission alone. They must become
concerns of the whole Church and all its leaders and members
whatever are their caste, region or rite.
To resist the onslaught of globalization, the Church in India

must prophetically counter the culture of consumerism and the
marginalization of the poor following the lead given by Pope
John Paul II (Ecclesia in Asia: no. 39). She can show her
solidarity and support to the affected groups by participating in
their protests against atrocities and their agitations for just
causes. To make “another world possible” for the Marginalised,
the Church must take part in the Asian / World Social Forum
officially urging her members to be present in larger numbers.
Likewise, the Church in India through its institutions,

organizations and commissions must increase her efforts at
dialogue, collaboration, coordination and networking to counter
39
communalism and religious fanaticism and foster communal

harmony. The Church can be part of various forums for
secularism and communal amity. Every effort must be made by
the Church to strengthen the democracy and save the
Constitution of India. The Church needs to be involved in the
making of the government policies and programmes for the
progress of the nation and the liberation of the Dalits and other
Marginalised. The Church must strive to support their
implementation becoming an effective partner in the nation
building.30
Conclusion
The struggles of the Dalits and other Marginalised groups

are for justice, equality, fraternity and liberty, which are also the
values of the Reign of God. As Dr. B. R. Ambedkar
acknowledges, “Ours is a battle not for wealth or for power. It is
a battle for freedom. It is a battle for the reclamation of human
personality.”31 Hence, the Church in India is bound to join this
battle and mission with them. Very existence and relevance of
the Church in India can be justified only when she is involved in
the liberative process of the victimized, for, as Jesus Christ
asserted, “It is the sick that need the doctor.” (Lk 5:31) Pope
John Paul II called upon the Church to “launch into the deep” at
the dawn of in the Third Millennium. Among the challenges for
the Church in the Third Millennium listed by him in his Apostolic
Letter, Beginning the New Millennium, are the persisting
contradictions of poverty and social discrimination (Novo
Millennio Inuente, no. 50). The Church in India must take up
these challenges by vigorously promoting the communion model
of identity, the egalitarian model of community, the servant model
of authority and the prophetic model of ministry in order to
enhance the life and liberation of the Marginalised.
40
Notes and References

* This article was originally published as the essay titled, “Dalit
Christians in the Third Millennium”, in The Church in India in the Emerging
Third Millennium, Thomas D’sa, ed., Bangalore, NBCLC, 2005,
pp. 142 – 161.
1. National Campaign for Dalit Human Rights (NCDHR) & Act Now for
Harmony And Democracy (ANHAD), Hidden Apartheid: The Dalit
Story, New Delhi, 2004, p.3. .
2. National Campaign for Dalit Human Rights (NCDHR), Dalits on
Globalization, Hyderabad, 2002, Introduction, p.1.
3. Quoted in, National Campaign for Dalit Human Rights (NCDHR) &
Act Now for Harmony And Democracy (ANHAD), Hidden Apart-
heid, The Dalit Story, p.3.
4. Ibid., p.8. Most of the data presented in the first part of this article
is drawn from this book.
5. Ibid., p.49.
6. Ibid., p.50.
7. Ibid., p.52.
8. Ibid.
9. Ibid.
10. See, Gail Omvedt, Dalits and the Democratic Revolution: Dr.
Ambedkar and the Dalit Movement in Colonial India, New Delhi,
Sage Publications, 1994; Dalit Visions, Delhi, Orient Longman,
1995; and Anthoniraj Thumma, Dalit Liberation Theology:
Ambedkarian Perspective, Delhi, ISPCK, 2000.
11. See, Eleanor Zelliot, From Untouchable to Dalit: Essays on
Ambedkar Movement, New Delhi, 1992; and Anthoniraj Thumma,
Voices of the Victims: Movements and Models of People’s Theol-
ogy, Delhi, ISPCK, 1999.
12. Quoted in, National Campaign for Dalit Human Rights (NCDHR),
Dalits on Globalization, Hyderabad, 2002, Fact Sheet XVII, p.1.
13. Ibid.
14. Quoted in, S. Lourdusamy, Towards Empowerment of Dalit Chris-
tians, New Delhi, CBCI, 2000, p.15.
41
15. See ibid., and Joshtrom Issac Kureethadam, Anthoniraj Thumma,

Sebastian Kuthukallunkal, eds, Church at the Crossroads: Sign-
posts for the Third Millennium, Guntur, Andhra Pradesh Formators’
Forum, 2001.
16. Ibid., p.13.
17. Ibid., p.14.
18. Ibid., pp. 14 -15.
19. Ibid., p.13.
20 Ibid., p.15.
21. John Paul II, “Ad Limina Apostolorum: Continue to promote
solidarity in the Church and in Society”, L’Osservatore Romano,
(English), Vol. 36, No. 48 (1820), November 26, 2003, p.5.
22. Ibid.
23. Ibid.
24. See, M. Azariah, Mission in Christ’s Way in India Today, Chennai,
CLS, 1989.
25. See, K. Wilson, The Twice Alienated: Culture of Dalit Christians,
Hyderabad, Booklinks, 1982.
heid: The Dalit Story, p.32.
27. Quoted in, S. Lourdusamy, Towards Empowerment of Dalit Chris-
tians, New Delhi, CBCI, 2000, p.16.
29. Quoted in ibid., back cover.
30. See, Anthoniraj Thumma and D. Alphonse, eds., Christian Com-
mitment to Nation Building, Bangalore, ITA and Dharmaram Publi-
cations, 2003.
42 Christology of Counter - Culture
The Marching with the Marginalised
THE CHRISTOLOGY OF COUNTER-CULTURE
Introduction:
Christological Reflections of the Marginalised
The members of many Marginalised communities in India

have become Christians and joined various Churches. They
together form the majority in most of the Churches. So much
so, the Church in India as a whole can be called the Church of
the Marginalised. Thus, they have responded to the invitation of
the Lord Jesus Christ, addressed through the Churches, and
have become his disciples. They endeavor to follow their Master
amidst their sufferings and trails despite their disappointment
with the Churches on some matters. The Marginalised place
their trust and hope in the Lord as their Saviour and Liberator
and love him dearly as their Elder Brother (Yesanna). In their
prayers and reflections that spring out of their joys and sorrows,
they exhibit a particular understanding of Jesus Christ and
interpret his life and mission in a particular way that is relevant
to their lives and struggles.
In this way the Marginalised give birth to a “People’s

Christology”, which is brought to light by the activist-theologians
who act as midwives in the process of its delivery. This article
attempts to present one stream of such a “People’s Christology” of
the Marginalised emerging from the Dalit communities, which
emphasizes the vision and mission of Jesus as a movement for
counter-cultural community of love and equality as the basis for the
Reign of God which Jesus came to establish. Such Christological
interpretations of the Marginalised challenge the Churches to review
and renew their ministries and services in accordance with the original
vision and mission of Jesus, and in relevance to the signs of the times
and place heeding to the needs of the poor and rights of the
43
Marginalised. Thus, the Churches are called to stand by the

Oppressed and march with Marginalised in realizing the
counter-culture of the Divine Reign.
The monstrous caste-system, that let leashed the world’s

longest and the worst form of apartheid and slavery on millions of
subaltern people of India for millennia, is still at large, assuming
new forms and subtle ways of discrimination and exploitation.1 It
has divided labourers more than dividing labour2 and created
sections of people called earlier as Sudras and Panchamas, now
subsisting as Backward Classes and Scheduled Castes.3 The
most dehumanized among them, the erstwhile Untouchables, who
were named “Depressed Classes” by the British, “Harijans” by
M.K. Gandhi and the Congress Party, “Scheduled Castes”
by the Constitution of India, now have given a name for
themselves – “Dalits”.4
The Sanskrit word “Dalit”5 has several related meanings

as described by A. P. Nirmal, a Dalit theologian: “The term ‘Dalit’
means (1) the broken, the torn, the rent, the burst, the spilt; (2)
the opened, the expended; (3) the bisected; (4) the driven
asunder, the dispelled, the scattered; (5) the downtrodden, the
crushed, the destroyed; (6) the manifested, the displayed.”6 All
these meanings reveal the reality of Dalits who were deprived
of their humanhood and treated as “non-persons” and “no
people”.7 Biblical theologian George M. Soares-Prabhu writing
on the poor as a class in the Bible, affirms that the word dal is
also used to describe the poor (anawim) in Hebrew with similar
meanings 8 enumerated by Nirmal. The subalterns and the poor
of the Biblical land were not only economically deprived, they
were also socially despised and religio-culturally debased.9 They
analogously correspond to the Dalits of our land, who were made
to suffer, as S. Devasahayam shows, socio-religious pollutions,
economic poverty and political powerless.10
Yet, the name “Dalit” assumed by the “outcastes” of India

not only manifests their condition of slavery and dehumanization,
but also makes known their dignity and militancy to struggle for
liberation. “Dalit is dignified” is the slogan of Christian Dalit
Liberation Movement.11 Tamilnadu leader of the Movement,
Antony Raj, asserts the full impact of the name “Dalit”:12
The non-Dalits prefer to calls us avarnas, antyajas,
panchamas, exterior castes, outcastes, depressed
classes, Scheduled Castes, Harijans and Untouchables.
Against these names which attribute hereditary impurity
to us, we choose to give a name to ourselves and that
name is “Dalit”. The Word ‘Dalit’ identifies our oppressors,
the non-Dalits that are the cause of our dehumanization.
The word connotes the consciousness of our own unfree
existence and outcast experience, which form the basis
for a new cultural unity and Dalit ideology... it also
indicates a certain militancy. The name Dalit is a symbol
of change, confrontation and revolution.
As a group, Dalits suffer many unbearable disabilities and

deprivations. M.E. Prabhakar lists the characteristics of Dalits
as an “outcaste” group: historic oppression, continuing socio-
economic stagnation, cumulative inequalities, stigma of
untouchability, segregation from mainline communities,
scatteredness and dividedness of Dalit communities, pluralism
of their religious affiliation, their indigenous origins and ancient
heritage denied to them by the Indian State and the dominant
culture,
Dalits have embraced Christianity in great numbers through

the mass movements, with a hope of liberation from their
bondedness and pollution. 13 Unfortunately, they now feel let
down by the Churches in India, which failed to struggle for their
liberation and still worse, continued the discrimination within their
45
Churches and institutions.14 These Churches seemed to have

lost the spirit of Jesus, who came to cast fire on earth (Lk 12:
49), and liberate the oppressed outcastes. Hence many Dalit
activists, theologians and Biblical scholars, and those that
empathize and sympathize with them, have tried to recapture
the spirit of Jesus and his mission, to make the Churches and
the Christians aware of their Christian responsibility towards
the Dalits of India, in the context of the enslaving caste-system,
its murderous poverty, crushing powerlessness and
contemptuous pollution.15 Keeping this purpose in mind, many
have attempted to re-interpret the Scriptures with “Dalit
Hermeneusis”, that is, from the contest of “outcastes” and from
the perspectives and view-point of the Dalit victims, with the
criterion of Dalit critical principle.16
This article* tries to bring together in a synthesis and

present a summary of the insights on “Dalit Christology” found
scattered in various books and periodicals. However, its focus
is on the theological reflections over the counter - culture ushered
in by Jesus against the dominant culture of the rich elite
aristocracy of the Jewish nation and the Roman Empire. It
ventures to understand the Dalitness of Jesus and his mission
for the subaltern “outcastes”. 17 The person of Jesus, his
Dalitness and Dalit experience, cannot be separated from the
praxis of Jesus, his struggle for Dalit liberation, and his
subversive creative transformative counter-cultural action. The
subaltern Dalit folk-culture in India embodies a strong movement
of counter-culture, even from the time of Gautama Buddha, and
Jesus’ counter-cultural movement is also viewed as part of the
same Dalit struggle for counter-cultural egalitarian society of
liberty, equality and fraternity.18 Jesus inspires and empowers
the ongoing struggle of Dalit counter-culture.19
Indian Caste System was not prevalent in Palestine with

its peculiar characteristics and implications. The poor, the

outcasts, the lower sections of Palestine Society and the
Gentiles and Samaritans along with the Galileans were
considered impure and clean. These and the others like the
lepers, the sick and the women under certain health
conditions were also deemed to be “untouchables” and
“sinners”. Throughout this article the term “Dalit” is used
analogously when referring to the people of Palestine and to
Jesus. Also, the term “outcastes” when used in the article
for Jesus and the people of his time, is to be taken to indicate
outcasts and lower class people in Palestine. They are not
strictly “outcastes” as no castes existed there. It is used
analogously in their regard and in the case of Jesus, since
some traits of the caste system, like the impurity, limited
forms of “untouchability”, hierarchy, and the social status
determined at birth, were also operative in Palestine. In the
case of the first followers of Jesus, they were considered a
sort of sectarian Jewish sect, yet they continued to attend
the Temple and the synagogues regularly until they were
expelled for associating with the impure Gentiles by taking
them as members in their community. Thus, from its
beginnings, the very existence of Christianity and its identity
got oriented towards the dalitised Marginalised of the society.
When talking about “Dalits” in this article, we refer not

only to their caste-condition also to the class-condition. It is
a caste-class group. What we say of Dalits also applies
analogously to the other lower caste-class groups, like the
Tribals and Backward Castes-classes in India and the
erstwhile Sudra communities. Similarly, “Dalit Christology”
can also have relevance to the Blacks in U.S.A. and South
Africa, and the poor, racially discriminated groups,
Indigenous Peoples and Tribes all over the world, especially
in the Third World.
47
1.0. The Person of Jesus: Dalitness

1.1. The Slave Servant
Jesus, the slave and the servant of people, embodied in
himself dalitness in many ways and experienced the dalit pathos,
degradation, ignominy and dehumanization. Insulted with all
sorts of bad names, outcast and rejected by his own people
and the leaders, finally Jesus was subjected to a ruthless,
shameful death of a slave and criminal, outside the gate.
The ancient Christian hymn quoted by St. Paul (Phil. 2:5-

11) portrays Jesus as divesting himself of all glory and divine
status and emptying himself of all human dignity and prestige,
of even the ordinary status of a normal human being with mini-
mum rights and privileges, needs and desires, and possessions
and satisfaction. Thus Jesus becomes a salve accepting the
condition of the lowliest, the least and the last in the society,
lower than the weakest servant, an oppressed and exploited
non-person, an outcaste, with no place to lay his head, nor a
tomb when he was dead. As Samuel Rayan writes, “In our
language we should say he refused to grasp at power, prestige
and profit; he refused to side with the votaries of these. Instead
he chose to be a Dalit, a Paraya, the lowest among the outcastes.
And as such he was wantonly insulted, harassed and killed by
the land-lord’s hirelings.”20 Jesus himself acknowledged and
asserted his role as the servant-slave who is to be the ransom
for the salvation of people: “for the Son of Man also came not to
be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for
many.” (Mk 10: 45).
John the Evangelist, keeping the prophecies of Isaiah in

mind, depicts Jesus fittingly as the suffering Servant of Yahweh
who goes to his final reward of cruel torture and gruesome deathe
with submission and forbearance. In the prologue to his Gospel
he already symbolically presents Jesus in the same light in the

verse: “Word became flesh (sarx)” (Jn 1:l0). Flesh (sarx) here
stands for weakness, humanness, transitoriness, fragility as
well as for concern, compassion and neighbourliness. Jesus
became a weak menial human being and lived among the
despised outcastes and the oppressed class. Like them he
suffered in every way. He was tempted, tested, rejected and
tried. Dalit experience of powerlessness and oppression made
him cry out in loud cries and tears with prayers and supplications
requesting to be saved (Heb. 2:14-18; 4:15; 5:7-10) 21 S. Rayan
puts it poignantly: “Caste is a heart of stone. Jesus has a heart
of flesh. He is flesh, sensitivity and loving compassion, carrying
in his corporate personality all flesh, all who are weak wretched
of the earth.”22
1.2. The Rejected “Outcaste”
Rejection and “outcasteness” is an essential part of Dalit

experience of Jesus. All the four Gospels bear witness to it.
The word that became flesh to pitch his tent among his own
people was outright rejected, laments John in his prologue: “He
came to his own home, and his own people received him not”
(Jn 1: 11). In his own hometown, when Jesus preached his first
sermon and announced the Manifesto of the Kingdom in favour
of the Dalits and the Marginalised, the powerful not only insulted
him, they attempted to murder him. They ridiculed him of low
status, mean birth and menial occupation of his parents. When
he continued to explain his mission on behalf of the “Dalit Gentiles”
and the low, “all in the synagogue were filled with wrath. And they
rose up and put him out of the city, and led him to the brow of the
hill on which their city was built that they might throw him down
headlong. But passing through the midst of them he went away.”
(Lk 4:28-30). Jesus narrates this experience later in the parable of
wicket tenants of the Vineyard. He acknowledges that he is the
49
“rejected stone” (Mk 12:1-12). Jesus experientially understood

that no prophet is accepted in his own place (Lk 4:24).
The Evangelist Luke had already in the Infancy Narrative

symbolized the rejection of Jesus. The family of Jesus was
turned away from the city of Bethlehem, as there was no place
for them in the inn. The manger in which Jesus was brought
forth shows not only his poverty and Dalitness, also his social
outcastedness (Lk 2:1-7). Similarly, the presentation of Jesus
at the Temple of Jerusalem with the offerings of the poor, also
had the ring of rejection around it in the prophecy of Simeon (Lk
2:22-35). Mathew’s infancy narrative also equally bears
testimony to the rejection of Jesus who from the time of his birth
was condemned to die by Herod, and had to flee to Egypt as a
refugee, rejected by his own people, leaders and kings (Mt 1 &
2). Thus Luke, Mathew and John have considered the stark
reality of Jesus’ rejection as important, and placed the birth and
arrival of Jesus in its frame.23
1.3. The Impure - Unclean
A Dalit is so by his or her birth, family and ancestry; no

one has a choice about it, nor a way out of it once born in a Dalit
clan. The genealogy of Jesus also places him in such a
background and condition of Dalitness. Many Dalit theologians
refer to Jesus’ genealogy, complied by the Evangelists, to show
the Dalitness of Jesus. The racial impurity of Jesus the Jew is
confirmed by Mathew by his inclusion of three women who were
non-Israelites, as Rayan points out.24 The impurity of blood and
the Dalitness of Jesus, A.P. Nirmal insists, is also demonstrated
by the inclusion by Mathew among the ancestors of Jesus the
names of Tamar, who illegally conceived by cohabitation with
her father-in-law, Rachael, the harlot; and king Solomon, the
illegitimate son of David25 V. Devasahayam makes it clear that
the identification of Jesus with the people of mixed and impure

blood was total, for, the ancestors of Jesus, Rahab and Ruth
were of non-Jewish origin and Tamar and Bathsheba women of
questionable character26 He also adds, “The title “Son of Mary”
was given to Jesus by his critics and was used in a derogatory
sense to embarrass Jesus of his questionable progeny.”27
Besides the title “Son of Mary” (Mk 6:3), the other titles
given to Jesus or assumed by him reveal his Dalit condition. V.
Devasahayam refers also to the titles “Galilean”, “Son of Man”,
“Son of God” and “Nazarene”.28 Jesus was addressed as
“Galilean” (Lk 23 :6) not only because he was brought up there
and his disciples were mostly Galileans, also because Jews
held Galilee in contempt for many reasons. 29 “Galilee is
nicknamed as Galilee of the Gentiles, in Indian terms the cheri
(where Dalits live) of Palestine (Mt 4:15)... The truth remains
that Jesus had not only taken the impure blood in his person,
but had chosen to live in a Palestinian cheri along with those
who were considered impure.”30
The “Son of Man” title is utilized by Jesus himself to

explicate his person and mission. As Devasahayam clarifies31
the Son of Man title is closely connected with the figure of the
suffering Servant of Isaiah in Chapter 53. Thus identifying
himself with the servants and slaves of the society, Jesus also
reveals his potential to relieve others from suffering and servitude
by his own suffering of a servant. Of the three groups of Son of
Man sayings, namely that denote the ordinariness of Jesus a
man, those that notify his suffering and death, and the ones
referring to the eschatological Son of Man, Nirmal considers
the second group of sayings as significant for Dalit Christology.32
For, these reveal Jesus, the Son of Man, as meeting rejection,
mockery, contempt, and suffering the ultimate death in the hands
of dominant established religion (Mk 8:31; 9:12; 10:45). “He
51
underwent these Dalit experiences as the Prototype of all Dalits,”

concludes Nirmal.33 But the slave is also the saviour, the one
who stands by the impure, poor, powerless Dalits as a
“Nazarene”, “the one full of spirit and doing justice”, against the
powerful upper caste-class oppressors. The title “Nazarene”
given to Jesus (Mt 2:21; Mk 14:67) is interpreted in this light by
Devasahayam. 34
2.0. Jesus’ Dalit Experience

2.1. Dalit-Experience of God
The title “Son of God”, invoked often by the evil spirits to
address Jesus, also brings out the Dalits experience of Jesus.
Jesus himself addresses God as Father, he is worried about
his Father’s business and will (Jn 4:34; 5:30; 6:38), and prefers
to remain in his Father’s house (Lk 2:41-52). As Devasahayam
explicates from the event of the boy Jesus lost in the Temple
and the event where Jesus says, “Whoever does the will of
God is my brother, sister and mother” (Mk 3:35), Jesus
transcends blood relationship and affirms the relationship that
comes from God. Referring also to the encounter of Jesus and
Nicodemus, where Jesus insists on the birth by Spirit as more
important than the birth by flesh, he writes: “Jesus conceived
himself as Son of God by transcending physical and blood
relationship and accepting every person as brother and sister
in God’s family. Jesus challenges Christians who claim to be
children of God without the experience of transcending caste
association and loyalty.”36
Jesus’ new understanding of “God as Father”, not merely

as the Old Testament “Yahweh”, contains a “Dalit experience”
as George Soares-Prabhu, Biblical Scholar explains:37
Such a radical redrawing of the map of his social world
is possible to Jesus because he can draw on a radically
new experience of God. God is not experienced by him

primarily as ‘holy’ (the source of numinous power, the
‘wholly other’), sharply separated from the ‘profane’
world, and demanding that his people become ‘holy’
people, separated from other peoples by sharply defined
purity lines, such as those elaborated in post-exilic
Judaism. Rather Jesus experiences God as ‘merciful’,
a God who reaches out in forgiveness and love to all
people, across all the lines of separation that we like to
draw (Jew / Gentile, righteous / sinner, clean caste /
Dalit), and who summons his people to a similar
compassion, that is, to an effective love that will reach
out beyond the bonds of kinship, clan and race to the
outsider, the undeserving, the enemy (Lk 6:32-36).
This “abba” experience of God also affirms the Dalitness

of Jesus. Admitting humbly his state of weakness, littleness,
childlikeness, and powerless Dalithood, and wholeheartedly
trusting in power and compassion of God, Jesus cries out
often, especially in times of trial and temptation “Abba,
Father” (Mk 14:36). As one among the “little ones” and the
“children” who alone can enter the Kingdom of God, Jesus
acknowledges his dependence and helplessness,
characteristic of a Dalit.
2.2. Dalit Victim
Dalit experience of pollution, poverty and powerlessness

was also the lot of Jesus. The insults, mockery, and contempt,
Jesus was meted out with, reveals it clearly. Pointing at his
low social status, and impure, polluted, illegal and mixed racial
birth and ancestry, and such association, the elite and upper
“castes” insulted Jesus saying that he is “son of Mary”(Mk
6:3), “Galilean”(Lk 23:6), “a glutton and drunkard and a friend
53
of tax-collectors and sinners”(Mt 11:18f), “a mad man”(Mk

3:22- 30), “a Samaritan possessed by a devil” (Jn 8:48-52).
Mocking at his backward economic status, the rich and the
high class taunted Jesus as “the carpenter’s son”(Mk 6:3;
Mt 13:55) as uneducated man, untrained rabbi, and irregular
teacher who was not instructed by any recognized master
(Jn 7:14-15).
Politically powerless Jesus, like a Dalit was looked down

upon with contempt, and calumniously accused and condemned
of being a mad man leading people astray (Jn 7:11-12; 7:20;
10:19) as imposter, sinner and blasphemer. In Rayan’s words,
“The case of Jesus is but an example of calculated insults and
false charges the established system hurls at the socially
defenseless in order to repress them when they begin to express
new thoughts and suggest changes to social and property
relations. The experience of the outcastes and the experience
of Jesus coincide.”38
“Rejected and thrown out of the vineyard and out of the

town, Jesus finds himself outside the walls where the
untouchables too are forced to live and suffer.”39 And it is here
outside the camp, out side the walls, and outside the gate, that
he finally dies a Dalit death, forlorn, forsaken, in suffering and in
shame, in the painful pangs of death, in the dark hour of the
“black” man. The author of Letter to the Hebrews bears wit-
ness to this murder, a Dalit atrocity:
For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought
into the sanctuary by the high priests as a sacrifice for
sin are burned outside the camp. So Jesus also
suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the
people through his own blood. Therefore let us go
forth to him outside the camp, and bear the abuse he
endured. (Heb. 13:11-13).
Thrown out of the “camp” of the Temple and of Jerusalem

city, by the establishment and orthodoxy, Jesus dies among
the defiled Dalits, in the region of Chamars with carcasses rotting
and revolting in the cheri’s slaughter place. “That is where Jesus
belongs. He suffered as an outcaste, cast out of Jerusalem as
a polluting carcass, as a blasphemer, a sinner, a seducer, a
breaker of sacred traditions and purity laws, a friend of publicans
and sinners.”40
2.3. Death of Dalit Pathos
Outcasted by the dear and near relatives of his own home

town, insulted by the upper castes and religious leaders,
deserted by the crowds that gathered for his miracles, forlorned
by the disciples that were scandalized at his “fleshiness” and
his insistence on eating it (Jn 6:66), forsaken by his close circle
of companions, the Apostles, who fled and ran away leaving
him to die alone, watching from a distance (Mk 14:50-51),
betrayed by one of them (Mt 26:25), and denied by another (Mk
14:66-72), condemned to die by the Temple and the Empire,
Jesus hangs on the cross, between heaven and earth, belonging
nowhere and to no one, outside the camp, among the
carcasses. And finally, he feels forsaken by his Abba, God the
Father, experiencing the ultimate point of Dalitness (Mk 15:34),
as Rayan deems:41
The high point of such coincidence of experience is the
experience of god forsakenness. The history of the Dalits
gives little or no evidence of God’s love, concern, justice,
presence or existence. Jesus shares in the historical
experience of Godlessness which is common to all the
oppressed. In the last hour of his life, as he hung on the
cross, rejected by his people, he realized that the God
he had loved and served all his days, in whose name he
had spoken, and taken sides and now abandoned him;
55
and he cried out; “My God, My God, why have you

deserted me?” Nothing less than that anguished cry can
represent the experience of India’s millions of
Untouchables.
Thus, the cross has become the most appropriate symbol

of Dalitness. A.P. Nirmal affirms and shares the same sentiments
of S. Rayan expressed in the quotes above, regarding the god-
forsakenness of Jesus and its Dalitness:42
There are many other examples of Jesus’ sympathy for

the Dalits of his day. But the cross best symbolizes his
Dalitness. On the cross, he was the broken, the crushed,
the split, the torn, the driven asunder man — the Dalit in
the fullest possible meaning of that term. “My God, my
God, why hast thou forsaken me?” he cried aloud from
the cross. The Son of God feels that he is God-forsaken.
That feeling of being God-forsaken is at the heart of our
Dalit experiences and Dalit consciousness in India. It is
the Dalitness of the divinity and humanity that the Cross
of Jesus symbolises.
But the “rejected stone” becomes the key-comer stone,

one who is lifted up draws all people to himself, the obedient
slave and the suffering servant becomes the powerful saviour
and Dalit liberator. Nirmal and Devasahayam often point out
that many Dalit gods are servant gods, there are sweeper-gods
and watchman-gods. There are gods like Lingappa who refuses
to stay in temple, but out in the cold and heat, like the Dalits
themselves, and Suguni Ranga, a servant-god who even suffers
punishment at the hands of Dalits.43 Truly, then, Jesus also has
become a “Dalit God” and saviour by his servanthood, suffering
and death of a slave and criminal.
3.0. The Praxis of Jesus:

Liberation - Solidarity and Struggle
3.1. Friend of the “Outcastes”
“Dalitness need not mean resignation to unfreedom, or loss
of the heart’s nobility. It rather sharpens the critical spirit,
ferments the thirst for freedom, and energizes the community
for the struggle.”44 These words of S. Rayan are very much
applicable also to Jesus. His Dalitness and Dalit experiences
did not lead him to resignation, fatalism, despair, pessimism,
escapism, inferiority and dependency. Rather Jesus was
energized and empowered by Dalit experience, as a knife that
is sharpened in fire, to revolt against the oppressive system, in
solidarity with his fellow Dalits, and liberate them in order to
lead them to the counter-culture and new community of the
Kingdom of God.
Solidarity of Jesus with the Dalits and impure sinners is

symbolized, according to Rayan, in the immersion of baptism,
where Jesus immersed himself “in the Dalitness of the
oppressed in order to remove its victims and plant them in the
realm of freedom, dignity and creative living.”45 The baptism of
water (Mk 1:4-11: Jn 1:19-28), where Jesus identifies himself
with Dalits, ultimately leads him to the baptism of blood for their
liberation, which also becomes an essential condition for
discipleship (Lk 12:50; Mk 10:35-45; Jn 15:13-17).
Jesus’ association and friendship with the Dalits of his

society is conspicuous. He spent most of his time working in
the despised Cheri of Galilee (Mt 4:15-16; Jn 1:46; 7:52). Most
of his disciples and many of his twelve apostles were from there.
They were from the lower ranks of society who were engaged
in impure, menial, ill-reputed occupations such as fishing,
carpentry and tax-collecting. They were illiterate and uncouth.
57
Jesus went about preaching in the villages to the ordinary

masses and not to the elite, who came to him only to test him.
He healed the sick people, the disabled persons, the leprosy
patients and the possessed individuals that were all treated as
untouchable Dalits. He was friendly with the tax collectors and
publicans, the Samaritans and Gentiles, the so called sinners
and the Marginalised, and with those who were depicted as the
“people of land” (amarez).
3.2. Dalit Option and Mission
Jesus’ option for the Dalits, poor and the oppressed was
affirmed by him when he made it clear to the authorities that it is
the sick that need a doctor (Mk 2:17) and so he had come to
seek and serve the last and the least (Lk 19:7-10). He was
compassionate to the Dalit masses who were helpless like the
sheep without a shepherd (Mt 9:36; Mk 6:34), for whom he opted
to be the Good Shepherd (In 10:1-18), who cares for the wounded,
seeks out the lost one leaving aside the ninety-nine (Mt 15:24; Lk
15:3-7) and defends them with his life. Like a hen that gathers the
young ones under her wings Jesus brought them under his care.
The special compassion of Jesus to the sick, hungry, bereaved
and helpless people was the expression of his option for them
(Mk 14:14; Mk 8:2; Lk 7:12-13; Mt 9:35-36).
Jesus was born in a lower middle class, if not, a poor family

of an artisan who could only afford to present a pair of doves in
the Temple during his presentation ceremony (Lk 2:24). But he
consciously and freely chose to adopt the life-style of a poor
wandering preacher, and opted to live for, live with, and live like
the poor Dalits. Hence he had no place to lay his head (Mt 8:20;
Lk 9:58); no money to pay for the taxes and tributes (Mt 17:24-
27; 22: 15-22; Mk 12:13-17; Lk 20:20-26) and had only one
garment to put on till his death (Mk 15.24).
Jesus’ mission for the Dalits and oppressed was aimed at

giving them life in abundance, for which he was willing to risk
his own life (Jn 10:10,11). His life-style was poor and life-end
was tragic. As he went about doing good, his friends and
disciples on whose hospitality and charity he depended, fed
him. (Lk 8:1-3; 7:36; 10:38-40; Mk 14:2,12-16). At his birth he
lay in another’s manger and at his death in another’s tomb (Mt
25:60). Thus Jesus’ option, solidarity and identification with the
Dalits were total and unconditional.
3.3. Symbol of Cultural Revolution: Table-Fellowship

The table-fellowship of Jesus was a radical action that
revealed the option and vocation of Jesus vividly, and confirmed
his solidarity with Dalits undoubtedly. George Soares-Prabhu
in his study on the subject, affirms that it is quite certain that
Jesus habitually shared the meal in table-fellowship with the
outcasts of his society; for, though the event was embarrassing
to his first followers and scandalous to others, yet all the
Synoptic traditions refer to it.46 Jesus sits with the tax collectors
and sinners in the house of Levi to the chagrin of teachers of
the law and .the Pharisees (Mk 2:15f; Mt 9:10f; Lk5:29-30).
Jesus is charged often with the accusation of being friendly
and dining with tax collectors and sinners (Mt 11:18f; Lk 15:1f;
19:7). This context of table-fellowship also becomes the
occasion for Jesus to narrate the parables of the Lost Sheep,
the Lost Coin and the Lost Son that demonstrate his concern
and liberative praxis for the lost sinners and Dalits (Lk 15:3-31).
To the self-righteous religious leaders Jesus makes it clear that
the Dalits, outcasts, tax-collectors, prostitutes and publicans
are going into the Kingdom of God ahead of them (Mt 21:31-32),
their prayers are accepted and they are justified (Lk 18:9-14).
Soares-Prabhu opines, “the table-fellowship of Jesus is

more than a form of individual pastoral care. It is the expression
59
of a radically new (and therefore thoroughly disturbing)

theological vision, rooted in a new experience of God, and calling
for a new kind of society.”47 While A.P. Nirmal emphasizes that
the table-fellowship manifests the noteworthy feature of Jesus’
life, his total identification with the Dalits of his day, 48
Devasahayam and Soares-Prabhu draw out the significance of
this radical event to the Indian context. Table-fellowship is a great
subversive act of counter-culture. In the Indian context where the
Dalits and other castes are not permitted to dine together, since
the absence of commensality is an important feature of the caste
system, the table-fellowship and Eucharist of Jesus is a symbol of
cultural revolution claims Devasahayam.49
It is significant that table-fellowship was a central feature

of Jesus’ ministry and teaching, and his table-fellowship was
with publicans and sinners, the social outcasts. Jesus
challenged the fundamental morality of society, which defined
what was acceptable and what was not acceptable. He
challenged the notions that stood in the way of commensality
and table-fellowship. It is very relevant in our context of poverty
and absence of table fellowship among castes that a fellowship
with Christ is described as sharing a meal, sharing the marriage
supper of the Lamb (Rev. 10:19). The Risen Lord says, “Behold
I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears my voice and
opens the door, I will come into him and eat with him \ her and
he \ she with me” (Rev. 3:20). This in fact is a challenge for a
cultural revolution through the reversal of symbols that were
used for domination.
4.0. Jesus’ Dalit Hermeneusis

4.1. New Interpretation of Purity
In Jesus’ time there were exclusive meals of different
groups in practice, such as the table-fellowships of Pharisaic
association and of the Essene Community where others were

forbidden to join. In such a background, “the table fellowship of
Jesus with” ‘tax collectors and sinners’, the religious and social
outcasts of his time, stands out as a powerful challenge. It
challenges the Pharisaic and the Essene ideal of Israel as a
holy community, whose holiness is to be maintained by
preserving a state of complete separation from all that is ritually
unclean. It implies instead a radically new understanding of
holiness, of community and God.”50
Jesus understood the holiness of God as mercy (Lk 6:36;

Mt 5:48; Lev. 19:2) and not as His separation from the world.
Hence, according to him, to be imitators of God’s holiness,
humans must also be merciful like God: “True holiness is no
longer defined by a ‘separation’ from the world which reflects
the ‘otherness’ of God; but by the ‘mercy’ which imitates God’s
utterly unconditional love. Religion is no longer a matter of ritual
purity or cultic competence but of interhuman compassion.”51
Jesus’ concept of holiness, religion and purity is diametrically
opposed to Jewish concepts. This was the reason for his
frequent conflicts with the Jewish authorities and the purist
Pharisees.
Jews had an elaborate system of purity lines, which

intricately distinguished person, places and things, as sacred
and clean or profane and polluted, for the purpose of determining
their fitness for use in the cult. This is similar and analogous to
the Hindu purity system determined by the code of Manu
according to the caste structure. The criteria for the
discrimination of purity in Judaism is the relation to the Temple,
the purity of one’s bloodlines and bodily wholeness.52 Jesus
subverts the system of purity-pollution as inhuman and unholy
and creates a new criterion for purity / pollution. Holiness for
him means mercy, love, justice, purity of intention, good will
61
and not separation from others, external observances of

cleanliness and adherence to cultic rituals.
To reinforce this counter-culture, Jesus deliberately sits in

table-fellowship with so called impure and unclean people, eats
with unwashed hands (Mk 7:2), touches and heals the impure
leprosy patients (Mk 1:41), and allows himself to be touched by
an ‘unclean’ woman (Mk 5:25-34). He declares all food as clean
(Mk 7:19; Rom 14:14) and allows his disciples to eat with
unwashed hands and justifies it saying. “There is nothing outside
a man which by going into him can defile him; but the things
which come out of man are what defile him” (Mk 7:15). Evil
desires, harmful intentions, discriminating biases, and contempt
for one another pollute a person. Hence, such malicious Pharisees
and Brahmins are in fact polluted and not the tax collectors, sinners
and Dalits.53 Abolition of pollution-purity system by Jesus extends
to all the areas such as the purity-pollution of contacts, occupations,
foods, things, places, customs, trade, nature, and also to one’s
family, birth, clan, caste, religion, nationality, region, race and
descent, as shown below.
4.2. Myth of Racial Purity Demolished
Racial purity was considered to be very prestigious and a

mark of nobility, both in Palestine and India. The elite and the
aristocratic Jewish families and Brahmin and upper caste Hindus
boast of their ancestral line, and get preoccupied with
genealogies and gotras. They try to keep the race pure by
endogamous marriages, for, racial purity affords them social
status, civil and religious privileges, merits and rights. Jesus
vehemently countered, by his radical praxis and teachings, such
a superstitious notion utilized for political hegemony. 54 Jesus
himself, as the Evangelists prove in their record of genealogy
of Jesus, was not born in a pure bloodline. Nor did he ever
considered it important; rather questioned those claiming racial

purity. He did not deem as significant the fact that he was from
the Davidic line (Mk 12:35- 37). He belonged and worked mostly
in Galilee, a place of mixed blood and impure races, a land of
gentiles, from where no prophetic can come (Mt 4:15; Jn 7:52;
1:46). Jesus chooses racially impure Galilean men and women
to spread his movement.
Both John the Baptizer and Jesus gave no importance to

Abrahamic descent of the Jews which does not justify them,
rather demanded faith and repentance from them (Lk 3:8-9; 13:1-
5; Mk 1: 14-15). Jesus was revolutionary to the extent that he
measured people’s greatness and closeness to him in the
measure of their willingness to do God’s will and work for the
Kingdom. Those who heard and heeded to God’s word were his
mother, brothers and sisters and not necessarily the natural
members of his family (Mk 3.21; 31-35; Lk 11:27-28). Similarly he
demanded that his disciples go beyond the biological ties and blood
relations, and consider him and the Kingdom to be more valuable
to the extent of leaving them, even if it caused divisions and
conflicts in their families (Mt 10:37; Lk 9:59; 12:53; 14:26).
On many occasions Jesus proves that salvation comes

through faith and not through blood and racial purity of the Jews
who boasted as the descendents of Abraham (In 8:31-47). Jesus
admires, and publicizes the faith of the non-Jews, like the gentile
woman of Canaan, the Centurion of Rome, for, all such people
of faith are “the natural heirs of the Kingdom” (Mt 8:5-13; Mk
7:24-70; 15:27-32, 39). Jesus goes to preach to the Samaritans,
the impure racially mixed people, and accepts the hospitality of
the Samaritan woman and her people, a scandalous act even
to his companions, but a liberative revolutionary venture to the
Marginalised (Jn 4:4-42). Among the ten persons affected by
leprosy and healed by Jesus, only the grateful “Dalit Samaritan”
63
returns to thank Jesus who praises his faith and gratitude (Lk
17:14-18). No wonder, in the story told by Jesus about the love
of neighbour a Samaritan is set as the model of neighbourliness
(Lk 10:29-37).
4.3. Reversal of Karma Theology
Karma theory of birth indirectly, and its equivalent in the

Jewish society directly, were also quashed by Jesus. Jesus
did not allow the sick and the handicapped suffer thinking that
they were making retribution for their sins, but healed them even
on Sabbath days. In the event of healing the blind man, Jesus
made it clear that he did not suffer that disability due to his sin or
of his ancestors (Jn 9).55 Both Judaism and Hinduism consider
sickness as the consequence of sin. Jesus smashed this myth
as also the myths of purity of race and racial superiority. 56 In
the parable of “Brahminic Pharisee” and the “Chandala Publican”
praying in the temple, Jesus makes it clear, that the prayer /
puja of the former was not accepted, in spite of his superior and
holier Karma of high caste birth.57 This ideology of Karma and
the merit of high caste birth, claimed by the Jews in saying.
“We are the descendents of Abraham, and have never been in
bondage to anyone” (Jn 8:33), was not approved by Jesus.
Writing in the Indian context of Mandal reservation

controversy, Felix Wilfred points out that, Jesus’ language is
the language of reservation for outcaste, while Jews’ language
is the language of merit, similar to the language of the upper
castes.58 Jesus’ parables of reversal59 also clearly prove that
the reservation is to be afforded to safeguard the rights of the
Dalits, Backward classes, and the Disabled, and demolish the
claims of the high caste-class with their merit by birth and
occupation. The last become the first and the least become tile
greatest in the parable of Good Samaritan (Lk 10:29-37), where
the Dalit impure outcast, and not the holy priest and the traditional
pious Levite, is held up as the model for the pure Jews. In the
stories of the Richman and Lazarus (Lk 16:19-31) and the
Wedding Banquet (Lk 14:7-14) the privileged become the left
outs. The Labourers in the Vineyard parable reveals the master’s
wish of giving equal living wages to all irrespective of the merit,
and that too starting from the last (Mt 20: 1-16). Even those who
joined late have the equal status in the Kingdom of God though
they did not belong to the chosen race.
Not only in Parables but also in his praxis Jesus has

effected this reversal. He applauds and appreciates the single-
coin offering of a poor Dalit widow, more than the bulk offering
of the rich man at the temple treasury (Lk 21:1-4). He predicts
the reversal of social order in the society: “But many that are
first will be last and the last first” (Mt 19:30; Mk 10:31; Lk 13:30).
He rules that the service done to the least is the service done to
him (Mt 25:40). Thus, he considers the last and least Dalits
equal to him and as his very own.
Reversal and inversion is one of the favourite major themes

of New Testament.60 Luke’s infancy narratives show, that it is
the shepherds who first heard the glad tidings of Jesus’ birth,
and are invited to see what the great people of Palestine longed
to see (Lk 2:8-20). Mary sings the Magnificat (Lk 1:46f), a song
of reversal and inversion, embodying a theology of
subversion.61 When Jesus begins to preach, he announces in
his Manifesto, that the good news is to be announced primarily
to the poor, the handicapped, the imprisoned and the outcast
Dalits (Lk 4:18); this service was also meant for them
exclusively (Lk 11 :1-4), for, it is the sick that need the doctor.
These people of evil Karma were privileged, for, they the “tax
collectors and prostitutes are making their way into the Kingdom
of “God before you”. The Father reveals his secrets to such
65
unlearned, impure, powerless little ones and not to the clever

scribes, the rich and the powerful (Mt 11:25-28; Lk 4:18). In the
final act of reversal, the rejected stone becomes the corner-
stone; the crucified slave becomes the life-giving liberator.
5.0. Jesus’ Counter-Culture

5.1. Inversion of Ideology of Hierarchy
The ideology of hierarchy is essential to the varna caste
system, along with the concepts of purity-pollution, karma of
birth and the racial purity. Hierarchy implies ordering, ranking
and grading of people in the society according to their caste-
status. It gives the priests, the Brahmins, the superiority of
superman status, and after them in the descending order are
placed the rulers, the Ksatriyas, below them the traders, the
Vaisyas and at the bottom the labourers, Sudras. Their
respective occupations are fixed and their statuses are ranked
in the same order.62 The avarna panchamas were treated as
“outcastes” and slaves. These were the unseeables, the
unapproachables, and the untouchables.
In the Palestine of Jesus’ time too, grading of people was

in vogue. George Soares-Prabhu notes that, “according to their
standing with respect to the Temple we can therefore deduce a
hierarchy of persons, descending from High Priest, to priest, to
Levite, to lay male Israelites, to Israelite women, to Gentiles.
But several other factors also determined the purity rating of
people, notably, the purity of their family lines, their bodily
wholeness, and the nature of the occupation they were engaged
in”.63 Likewise those suffering physical impairment and sickness,
and those involved in polluting occupations, were ranked lower
and were judged impure and unclean.
By his table-fellowship with people of lower and impure

ranks, the Sudras and the Dalit untouchables of his time, Jesus
overturns the hierarchical system of Palestine and implicitly of

India, as evil machinations. In the new social order and counter-
culture fostered by Jesus every person is intrinsically sacred
and equal to the other. No one is to be greater than the other, no
one superior or a boss. Even the leaders are not greater in
anyway and they are not to lord it over others. Only those who
serve the community are to be respected as great people (Mt
23:11; Mk 7:35; 10:43). No one is to be called Master or Father,
for, in the order of the new community of God’s family there is
no hierarchy, all are to be equal as brothers and sisters (Mt
23:8-10). Even the “Master” Jesus preferred to be a friend (Jn
15:15) and a servant (Mt 10:42-45). His greatness consists in
his service and self-sacrifice for his friends’ sake (Jn 15:1-3).
As his close disciples vied in competition among them-

selves, envious of each other for the positions in the Kingdom,
Jesus made the nature of greatness clear to them by his strict
instruction (Mk 10:35-45; Mt 20:20-28). But, when they still
persisted refusing to give up competition for better seats even
at the table of his last supper, Jesus the “Lord and Teacher”
took the position of a slave and washed their feet, in order to
wash clean their minds and hearts of the filthy ideology of
hierarchy and competition, a casteist-capitalist value (Jn 13:1-
16). Such a radical and bold prophetic exemplary action of a
Master / Guru washing the feet of his disciples / sishyas, rare in
history, if not unknown, was required on the part of Jesus to
subdue the demonic casteist-capitalistic hierarchical ideology
of exclusion, discrimination and competition.
5.2. A Counter-Culture of Dignity and Equality

“By associating with the outcasts he set them free by
recognizing their humanity, acknowledging their dignity and
affirming their worth. He awakened their selfhood, rebuilt their
pride and assured them of their status as Daughters, Sons and
67
citizens before God. He challenged them to live accordingly in

open freedom and to refuse every enslavement.”64 In this manner
Jesus broke the culture of silence of the suppressed, the Dalits
and the Sudras who fear to venture to speak out and voice
their complaints or protests in the face of injustice, injury
and rape.65 Their minds were enslaved and their tongues
tied. Jesus by his liberative education and liberative praxis
unbound them and freed them to assert their identity, dignity
and creativity.66
Jesus’ cultural revolution transformed the dominated

outcastes and untouchables and created a counter-culture that
would be built not on hierarchy, inequality and competition but
on cooperation, equality, fraternity and liberty of all sections of
the society. Hierarchical order, discrimination, de-gradation and
separation between Jews and Gentiles, priests and lay people,
men and women, and masters and slaves was totally
demolished by Jesus in breaking down the walls that separated
them (Gal. 3:28-29, 5:6; Rom. 10:12). Isolating the poor, the
impure, the unclean and the impaired people to the periphery of
the society by marginalization, was the machination of the
dominant culture. In contrast, Jesus’ Dalit counter-culture is
based on dignity, freedom, equality, justice, love, fraternity and
unity of all, irrespective of caste, creed and other differentiations.
Women of the lower caste-class of our society, considered

to be the “Dalits of the Dalits” 67 , suffering manifold
discriminations68, are no fortunate than women of Jesus’ time.
They are listed among men’s possessions along with land, oxen,
asses and slaves (Cfr. Ex. 20:17; Dt. 5:21) and had no property
rights (Cfr. Num. 27). They could be divorced easily but they
had no divorce rights. Women were confined to household
chores and seclusion, and had neither public life and social
status nor legal position. In public, they are forbidden to speak
or spoken to 69 Jesus’ refused, to toe this beaten path and broke

the laws and customs of the dominant culture to include women
among his disciples and friends who accomplished him and
cared for his needs (Mk 15:40-41; Lk 8:1-3; 10:38-42; Jn 11:5;
20:11-18). He touched and healed them and allowed them to
touch him, shattering the pollution laws (Mk 1.29-31; 5:25-34,
41-43: Mt 28:9; Lk7:36- 40: Jn 20:17).
Jesus admired the faith of the Canaanite women, praised

the women who offered a small coin in the Temple, and de-
fended the women who anointed him (Mk 12:41-44; 14:3-9;
Lk 7:36-40) The Samaritan Women (Jn 4:28) and Mary
Magdalene were his collaborators and forerunners (Jn 20:
17- 18; Mt 28:10). “Setting aside all taboos and conventions
which discriminated against women, Jesus reaffirmed their
sphere of life, and enhanced their contribution to the new
social order he was calling into being.”70 Likewise Jesus
defended the rights of the children and set them up as models
(Mt 19:13f; Mk 7:27). These powerless harassed children
along with women were of no count in Palestine society (Mk
9:36, 37; 10:13-16; Mt 10: 1-4).
5.3. Critique of Religion and Dharmasastras
Religion, Priests, Scriptures, the Law and the Temple

are used as the tools of exploitation and instruments of
oppression of outcastes and Dalits. They are made the
legitimizers of hierarchy and discrimination and they justify
the atrocities of the aristocracy. This is equally true of India
and Palestine. Revolutionary prophets like Jesus have
wisdom and power, and concern and courage, to demolish
their strong ramparts and blow up their fortress to set the
downtrodden free. B. R. Ambedkar, one such prophets in
India, insightfully asserted that the base and foundation of
69
the ideology and structure of caste system is the Hindu

religion, its Scriptures, its Law of Manu and the exploitation
by its Brahmin priests, who imposed cultic ritualistic burdens
on Dalits and forbade them from entering the temples.71 Jesus
broke the Law of Moses many a time, and changed it many
times asserting, “But, I say to you” (Mt 5:22, 28, 32, 34, 44).
In doing so Jesus revealed the real purpose of the
Dharmasastras and set a precedent for the other liberators like
Ambedkar who burned down the Law of Manu.72
Jesus reinterprets many of the Jewish Scriptures keeping

the poor and “Dalits” in mind. He reveals their essential meaning,
and insists on following the values of justice and love,
unburdening the oppressed of the heavy loads imposed on them
by the lawmakers. Jesus heaps burning coal on the heads of
teachers of the law and scriptures, the hypocritical scribes,
Pharisees, and priests for neglecting the essentials of Law and
Scriptures, and exploiting the Marginalised enforcing unbearable
burdens on them (Mt 23). Dalit liberator, Jesus, heals and cares
for the sick and the weak on the Sabbath, in gross violation of
the Jewish law (Mk 3:2; Lk 13:14; Jn. 9:14; 5:10). Jesus nullifies
the laws of purity-pollution and breaks the law of Sabbath, to
replace them with the supreme law of love and service. He
redefines the role of Sabbath: “The Sabbath was made for man
and not man for the Sabbath” (Mk 2:27). This is a revolutionary
reversal of religion whose purpose is not rituals and sacrifices
but the welfare of the human.
Jesus, thus, deprives the priests, the Sanhedrin and the

elders of their religious power by which they enslave the people.
Sacrifices and cults are made dispensable by Jesus, who
authoritatively says that God wants only mercy and justice (Mk
9:13). He makes it very clear that no sacrifice is acceptable
where there is no loving relationship of reconciliation (Mt 5:23-
24).73 In the story of Good Samaritan Jesus puts to shame, the

Priests and Levites who care only for the cults and not for the
neighbour.
To blast the domination of priests and their exploitation,

Jesus attacks the Temple of Jerusalem, which is the symbol of
power of the entire religio-political and socio-cultural structure
of the Jews. Economic exploitation in the Temple by way of
trade and money changing was also under attack.
Devasahayam explains that in our context, where Dalits are
forbidden to enter the temples and read the scriptures, Jesus’
cleansing of the Temple is very significant: “The narrative of
cleansing the Temple (Mk 11:15-19) maintains that as against
Jewish expectations, the Messiah cleanses the Temple not from
but for the Gentiles “My house shall be called a house of prayer
for all the nations.” Those who were outside are brought into the
temple”74 Jesus clears the bazar from the Gentile court, so that
they, the Jewish Panchamas, the Gentiles can enter and pray.
Such a radical praxis of Jesus is a forerunner of the many
struggles and satyagrahas of Indian Dalits for the temple entry
in various States. Affirming this, A.P. Nirmal states, “In this act
of restoration of the Gentile rights of worship we see a
prefiguration of the vindication of the Indian Dalit struggle for
their prayer and worship rights”.75
Jesus the liberator went beyond mere cleansing of the

temple, he totally abolished the temple as the centre and source
of salvation and grace. Now, it is not by giving offerings to the
temple that one becomes holy and justified, but by giving offerings
to the needy and the Dalits, (Mt 25:31-46). The sacrifices made in
the temple do not matter at all for God. He prefers the sacrifices
made to the people in need with mercy and justice. As S. Rayan
lucidly concludes, “The temple is replaced by care for the body
of Jesus, the body of the poor, and by bread for the hungry,
71
bread shared in remembrance of that body which is the source

of new way of living, relating and being human (Mk 14:22-25;
6:34-44; 2:15-17; cf. Jn. 2:19-21)”.76
6.0. A Movement for Counter-Culture

6.1. A Community of Equals
A radical movement and a community of equality, freedom,
sharing, service, plurality and universality took shape around
Jesus.77 Jesus movement was different from the movements
of Zealots, Qumran Essences and the Pharisees, which failed to
provide an adequate response to the civilizational crisis of his time.78
Unlike them Jesus movement was, in Soares-Prabhu’s words, “a
radically free community, which could respond to the economic
plight of the poor by ‘sharing’; face cultural threat by abandoning
defensive encasement for cultural pluralism; overcome the ‘will to
power’ through unlimited readiness to serve; and confront the
towering inequalities of a racist, sexist and slavish society by
affirming the radical equality of all human beings. The Movement
was thus extraordinarily radical.”79
Majority of the people who joined Jesus’ Kingdom

movement and the early Christianity were from the backward
communities, classes and “castes”, they were the Adivasis
and Dalits in our terms, though others also joined in minority.
Jesus’ movement for the Kingdom of God had no place in it
for the unrepenting aristocrats, the rich, the “upper caste”
supermen who held positions and power, and belonged to
the rival kingdoms of Herod, Caesar, Satan or Mammon (Lk
11:18-20; Mt 6:24).80
6.2. Marks of Jesus’ Movement

The ultimate aim of Jesus’ movement was the counter-
culture of the Kingdom of God, built on love, justice and peace;
assuring food, freedom and fellowship to all especially the needy

poor in the community (Mt 6:8-13; Acts 2:42-47; 4:32-37); and
ensuring liberty, fraternity and equality to the dehumanized
“Dalits” and outcasts (Mt 23:8-12; Mk 10:40), to the degraded
women (Lk 8:1; Mk 16: 7-10; Jn 20:17-18; 4:19-25,39-42) and to
the defenseless children (Mt 10:13-16; 9:36-37; Mt 18:14). Its
manifesto summed up the promises it held up (Lk 4:18f.) It
dispensed compassion, consolidation and concern for the poor
Marginalised, but curse, condemnation, and challenge to the rich
elite to distribute their possessions to the poor and accept them
as equals (Lk 6:20- 24; Mk 10: 21-23; Lk 16:19-31; 12:16-21,
Mk 11:15-16), failing which it would be hard for them to enter
the Kingdom.
The ethical norm of this Kingdom based counter-culture

is not the Jewish law and religion, which in some ways
reflects Manudharma, but the Dharma of Jesus based on
love. The parameters of the divine Kingdom’s new society
envisioned by Jesus are, according to Soares-Prabhu,
freedom, fellowship and Justice. 81 By this liberative
subversive-creative praxis Jesus frees the impoverished and
the enslaved from sin and guilt (Mt. 2:1- 12), from the demons
(Mk1:21-28), the Law (Mt 11:28-30; 23:4), social ostracism
(Lk 19:1-10), ritual uncleanness (Mk 1: 40- 45), ritualism (Mt
6:7), and from mental ill health (Mk 5:1-21), possessions (Mk
1:16-18; 10:21), family ties (Lk 9:61), etc.82
Freed human persons are led to a life of fellowship in

the community with mutual love and concern. Jesus enjoins
on the members of the movement a radical, universal,
unconditional absolute concern for those in need (Lk 6: 27-
36; 10:25-37). He equates love of God and love neighbour,
so as to mean that one can love God only by loving the
neighbour (Mk 12: 28-34). He commands, them to love their
73
neighbours as he loves them (Jn 13: 34; 15:12; 1 Jn 3: 23; 4:

7-12; 2 Jn 5); for, in serving the needy and the least, He is
served (Mt 25: 31-46).83
Justice is another parameter of the Kingdom movement

that promotes counter-culture and a new social order, with a
new value system. Jesus’ transformative praxis launched an
attack on the unjust oppressive establishment of the Temple
and the Empires through his deliberate scandalizing behavior
and controversies regarding the breaking of the Sabbath and
purity laws, (Mk 2:23-3:6; 7:9-13), his table fellowship with
outcasts (Mk 2:15-17) and the attack on the Temple (Mk 17:
15-19). He also broke into the strongman’s house of demonic
power structures to bind and plunder Satan’s goods (Mk 3:27)
by his miracles and exorcisms.84
The Kingdom of God inaugurated by Jesus also initiated

along with new liberative relationship, new liberating
structures and systems of counter-culture.85 Not only the
change of hearts of persons but also the radical
transformation of social structures, that correspond to and
foster the new counter-cultural values, of freedom, fellowship
and faith that does justice, are envisioned and effected by
Jesus. 86 Non-consumerist, non-discriminative, non-
competitive, just, egalitarian, loving, participatory community
is the goal of his movement for counter-culture.
6.3. In the Line of Dalit Counter-Culture
The cross of Jesus stands not only as the symbol of his

Dalitness, Dalit experience and solidarity, but also of his Dalit
liberation and struggle for Dalit counter-culture. As K. Wilson
affirms, “The cross is the symbol of revolution. The cross
stands for struggle, for change not merely of the individual
but of entire society... The meaning of the cross must give
rise to a new humanized and humanizing Church of the Dalits.
If Christian Dalits realise this truth, then the day is not far off
when they become the avant-garde of total change in the
Indian sub-continent.”87
M. E. Prabhakar has pointed out that the Dalit struggle for

liberation has begun from the ancient time of Buddha, runs
through the medieval Bhakti movements to the modern reform
and contemporary revolutionary movements of B. R. Ambedkar
who revived the Buddhist revolution in our times.88 That is why,
with much insight S. Kappen suggests, that the Counter-Cultural
movement of Jesus be inserted into the same history of
revolutionary protest and “the tradition of dissent in India, who’s
earliest and the most powerful spokesman was Gautama
Buddha... It is remarkable that in many respects he anticipated
the concerns of the prophet from Nazareth.” 90 Both their
movements for the divine Kingdom of righteousness (dharma
rajya), based on compassion (agape / karuna) and equality,
are powerful under-currents in the stream of Dalit counter-
culture.
Undoubtedly Jesus’ movement was a radical counter-

cultural struggle against the dominant culture of the elite class-
caste of the Jews and Romans. It continued so, for about three
centuries until the powerful forces took over, co-opted and
domesticated it. They are many reasons and causes for its
gradual decline and fall out that began even from the time of his
first followers.91 Yet, the inspiring spirit of Jesus, the “Dalit”
liberator has survived down the centuries empowering the weak
and the outcastes and those that struggle with them for counter-
culture. Indian Dalits too moved by Jesus’ loving service and
liberative self-sacrifice (thyaga) have joined his Church, giving
rise to liberative mass conversion movements, that shook the
75
ramparts of Brahminic Hinduism.92 They must keep Jesus’

movement for counter-culture going and his prophetic radical
liberative tradition alive.
Conclusion
The fortress of caste-system, that has begun cracking

slowly, still stands undemolished, imprisoning in its four walls
vast majority of Indians. Even Christians and their leaders have
been brought back to its prison cells.93 Hence, it is the urgent
task of every Christian in India, who wants to be a worthy member
of Jesus’ movement and community, to further the Dalit counter-
culture which he promoted. To do this, as Ambedkar
admonished, Christians must come out of their ghettos and join
the struggles for human rights waged by Dalits.94 Within the
Churches, participatory structures that give equal power to the
Dalits in decision-making and governing are to be formed. Dalit
folk culture, Dalit Theology, and their integral development must
be promoted in solidarity and struggle with them. What has been
said of the Dalits, analogously applies to other Marginalised too
especially to the Adivasis and other Backward Classes-castes.
Hence, the cultural revolution of Jesus is to be spread among
them to reinforce the egalitarian divine-human values of counter-
culture carrying forward the mission of Jesus that focused on
the liberation of the Marginalised so as to lead all the humans to
the Divine Reign of Love, Justice and Peace.
Notes
* This article, except for addition of a few sentences, formed part
of the book by the author, Springs from the Subalterns: Patterns
and Perspectives in People’s Theology, New Delhi, ISPCK, 1999,
pp. 01-31.
1. See V.T. Rajshekar, Dalits: The Black Untouchables of India
(Indian publication title: Aparthied in India), Atlanta, Clarity Press,
1987; and Jose Kananaikil (ed.), Scheduled Castes and the
Struggles against Inequality, New Delhi, Indian Social Institute,
1983. For the reports on continued exploitation and discrimination
of the Dalits today, see the journal, Dalit Voice, V.T. Rajshekar
(ed.), Bangalore.
2. B.R Ambedkar, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Writings and Speeches,

Vasant Moon (ed.), Mumbai, Government of Maharashtra, 1987,
Vol., p.67.
3. See Ibid., Vol. 7; also G. S. Ghurye, Caste and Race in India,

Mumbai, Popular Prakashan, 1990; and Louis Dumount, Homo
Hierarchicus: The Caste System and its Implications, Delhi, Oxford
University Press, 1988.
4. See J. Massey, Roots: A Concise History of Dalits, Bangalore,
CISRS, 1991; for a brief historical note on this see M. E. Prabhakar,
“Mission in a Dalit Perspective” in V. Devasahayam (ed.), Dalits
and Women: Quest for Humanity. Chennai, Gurukul, 1992, pp.74-
76.
5. Ibid., p.72.
6. A. P. Nirmal, “Towards a Christian Dalit Theology” in A.P. Nirmal

and V. Devasahayam (eds), A Reader in Dalit Theology. Chennai,
Gurukul, (n.d.), p.139
7. See M.E. Prabhakar, “Mission in Dalit Perspective”, pp.71, and
76-79.
8. George M. Soares-Prabhu, “Class in the Bible: The Biblical Poor

a Social Class?” in G. Arokiasamy and G. Gispert-Sauch (eds),
Liberation in Asia: Theological Perspectives, Anand, Gujarat
Sahitya Prakashan, 1987, pp.68-69.
9. Ibid. pp.70-71.
77
10. See V. Devasahayam, “Pollution, Poverty and Powerlessness”

in A Reader in Dalit Theology, pp.1-22.
11. M.E. Prabhakar, “Mission in a Dalit Perspective”, p.74.
12. Antony Raj, “The Dalit Christian Reality in Tamilnadu”, Jeevadhara

22/128 (1992)96.
13. See John C.B. Webster, The Dalit Christians, A History, Delhi,
ISPCK, 1992.
14. See Kothapalli Wilson, The Twice Alienated: Culture of Dalit
Christians, Hyderabad, Booklinks, 1982; Ninan Koshy, Caste in
Kerala Churches, Bangalore, CISRS, 1968; M. Azariah, The
Unchristian side of the Indian Church, The Plight of the
Untouchables Converts, Bangalore, Dalit Sahitya Academy, 1989;
V. T. Rajasekar, Christians and Dalit Liberation, Bangalore, Dalit
Sahitya Academy, 1987; Harijinder Singh (ed.), Caste among Non-
Hindus in India, National Publishing House, Delhi 1977; Jose
Kananickal, Scheduled Caste Converts and Social Disabilities,
ISI, New Delhi 1990; Antony Raj, Discrimination Against Dalit
Christians in Tamil Nadu, Madurai, Ideas, 1992; Ambrose Pinto,
Dalit Christians: Socio-economic Survey, Bangalore, Ashirvad,
1992; George Kaiparambil, Caste in the Catholic Community in
Kerala, Cochin, Teresa’s College, 1982; “Andhra Christians”,
special issue of Religion and Society, 37/1 (1990); G. Prakash
Reddy, “Caste and Christianity: A Study of Shudra Caste Converts
in Rural Andhra Pradesh” in V. Sudarsan et al (eds) Religion and
Society in South India, Delhi, B.R. Publishing Corporation, 1987;
Deepak K. Behera, Ethnicity and Christianity: Christians Divided
by Caste and Tribe in Western Orissa, Bangalore, CISRS, 1989
and Anthoniraj Thumma, “Ambedkar and the Christians”, in
Vidyajyoti 57/8 (1993)449-470.
15. Some of these are found in M.E. Prabhakar (ed.) Towards a Dalit
Theology, Bangalore, CISRS, 1988; A.P. Nirmal and V.
Devasahayam (eds) Dalits and Women; Felix Wilfred (ed.), Leave
the Temple: Indian Paths to Human Liberation, New York, Orbis
Books, 1992 and X. Irudayaraj (ed.), Emerging Dalit Theology,
Chennai, Jesuit Theological Secretariat, 1990.
16. See James Massey, Towards Dalit Hermeneutics, New Delhi,

Centre for Dalit Studies, (1994), 2001.
17. In this regard see, Joachim Jeremias, Jerusalem at the Time of

Jesus, London, SCM, 1969; S. Safari M. Stem, The Jewish People
in the First Century, Vols. I-II, Philadelphia, Fortress Press, 1974-
1976 and Francis Houtart, “Palestine in Jesus’ Time” in Social
Scientist 42 (1976)14-23.
18. See Shared Patil, “Non-Brahmin and Dalit Movements and their
Implications for Anti-caste struggle” in P. Mathew and A. Murickan
(eds), Religion Ideology and Counter-Culture. Bangalore, Horizon
Books, 1987, pp.207-220; Michel Amaladoss, “Folk-Culture as
Counter-Culture: The Dalit Experience” in Jeevadhara, 25/139
(1994) 31-42; A.M.A. Ayrookuziel, “Dalit Theology: A Movement
of Counter-Culture” in Towards a Dalit Theology, pp.83-103.
19. See A.M.A. Ayrookuziel (ed.), The Dalit Desiyata, Delhi, ISPCK,
1990; Arvind P. Nirmal (ed.), Towards a Common Dalit Ideology,
Chennai, Gurukul, (n.d.); Jose Kananaikil (ed.), Scheduled Castes
and the Struggle against Inequality, and S.K Gupta, The Scheduled
Castes in Modern Indian Politics: Their Emergence as a Political
Power.
20. Samuel Rayan, “Outside the Gate, Sharing the Insult” in

Jeevadhara 11/63 (1981)222; the same essay is found in F.
Wilfred, (ed.), Leave the Temple, pp.125-145.
21. See Ibid., pp.225-226.
22. Ibid., p.225; see also A.P. Nirmal in Towards a Common Dalit
Ideology, pp.121-126 (124), for the articulation of “incarnational
ideology” based on “the Word made flesh”.
23. See Ibid., pp.225-226

24. See S. Rayan, “Early Christianity as Counter-Culture” in Philip
Mathew and Ajit Muricken (eds), Religion, Ideology and Counter-
Culture, Essays in Honour of S. Kappen, p.135.
25. A Reader in Dalit Theology, pp. 65-66.
26. Dalits and Women, p.233.

27. See Ibid.
28. See Ibid., pp.233-236.
29. See Ibid., pp.233-234.

79
30. See Ibid., pp.233 and 234.

31. See Ibid., p.234.
32. See A Reader in Dalit Theology, p.66.
33. Ibid., pp. 66-67.

34. See Dalits and Women, p.236.
35. See Ibid., p.235.
36. Ibid., pp.235-236.

37. George M. Soares-Prabhu, “The Table Fellowship of Jesus: Its
Significance for Dalit Christians in India Today”, in Jeevadhara
22/128 (1992)152-153.
38. “Outside the Gate...,” p. 227.
39. Ibid., p. 223.

40. Ibid., p. 224.
41. Ibid., p. 228.
42. A Reader in Dalit Theology, p. 69.

43. See Dalits and Women, pp.234-235.
44. S. Rayan, “The Challenge of the Dalit Issue: Some Theological

Perspectives”, in Ibid., p.129.
45. Ibid., p.121.

46. “The Table Fellowship “, p.143.
47. Ibid., p.144.
48. A Reader in Dalit Theology, p.67.

49. Dalits and Women, p.262
50. “The Table Fellowship “, p.148.
51. Ibid.
52. See Ibid.; see also Louis Dumont, Homo Hierarchicus: The Caste
System and Its Implications, for differences in purity / pollution
concepts and practice among the Jews and Indians.

53. See Ibid., p.151.
54. See S. Rayan, “Early Christianity as Counter-Culture”, pp.134-

135.
55. See Dalits and Women, p.238.

56. See S. Rayan “Outside the Gate”, pp. 217-220.
57. See Ibid., p. 216.
58. See Felix Wilfred, “Human Rights and MandaI Movement

Reflections on Human Rights in an Asian Context “in his Sunset
in the East Asian Challenges and Christian Involvement, Chennai,
University of Madras, 1991, p.60.
59. See Ibid., pp.61-62; also John Dominic Crossan, In Parables:
The Challenges of the Historical Jesus, New York, Harper and
Row, pp.53ff.
60. See S. Rayan, “Outside the Gate”, pp. 218-219.
61. See Ibid., p. 218.

62. See L. Dumont, Homo Hierarchicus.
63. “The Table Fellowship”, p.150.
64. “Outside the Gate”, p. 217.

65. See Ibid., p. 220.
66. See Ibid., p. 221.
67. See Aruna Gnanadason, “Dalit Women - The Dalit of Dalit” in A

Reader in Dalit Theology, pp.129-138; and Saraswathy
Govindarajan, “Caste, Women and Violence”, in Dalits and
Women, pp.149-157.
68. See Ruth Manorama, “Dalit Women - The Thrice Alienated” in
Towards a Dalits and Theology, pp.146- 150; also other essays
on Dalit Women in the same volume.
69. See S. Rayan, “Early Christianity as Counter-Culture”, p.133.
70. Ibid., p.133.

81
71. See B.R. Ambedkar, Annihilation of Caste, Bangalore, Dalit

Sahitya Academy, 1987, pp.57-77.
72. See Dananjoy Keer, Dr. Ambedkar: Life and Mission, Mumbai,
Popular Prakashan, 1981, p.100.
73. See “ The Table Fellowship...,” pp.148, 152.
74. Dalits and Women, p. 239.

75. A Reader in Dalit Theology, pp.68-69.
76. See “Early Christianity as Counter-Culture”, p.131.
77. See George Soares-Prabhu, “Radical Beginnings: The Jesus

Community as the Archetype of the Church”, Jeevadhara, 15
(1985)307-325.
78. See Ibid., pp.311-318.
79. See Ibid., p.325.
80. See, “Early Christianity as Counter-Culture”, pp. 129-132.

81. See, “The Kingdom of God: Jesus’ Vision of New Society” in The
Indian Church in the Struggle for a New Society, Bangalore,
NBCLC, 1981, p.25, and his, “The Dharma of Jesus: An
Interpretation of the Sermon on the Mount”, in Biblebhashyam, 6
(1980)358-381.
82. See Ibid., p. 26.
83. See Ibid., p. 27; and his, “The Synoptic Love-Commandment”,

Jeevadhara, 13 (1983) 85-103.
84. See Ibid., pp.28-29; and his, “The Miracles of Jesus: Subversion
of Power Structure”, in S. Kappen, (ed.), Jesus Today, Chennai,
AICUF, 1985, pp. 21-29.
85. See Ibid., p. 29.
86. See Ibid.,

87. K. Wilson, “An Approach to Christian Dalit Theology”, in M.E.
Prabhakar, Towards a Dalit Theology, pp.54-55.
88. See M.E. Prabhakar, “The Search for a Dalit Theology”, in A

Reader in Dalit Theology, pp.46-47; see also Walter Fernandes,

“A Socio-Historical Perspective for Liberation Theology in India”,
in F. Wilfred, (ed.), Leave the Temple, pp.9-34; and also by him,
in the same Volume, “Bhakti and Liberation Theology for India”,
pp.47-65.
89. See M. Amaladoss, “Folk-Culture as Counter-Culture: The Dalit
Experience”.
90. Sebastian Kappen, Liberation Theology and Marxism, Puntamba,

Asha Kendra, 1986, p.51; see also his, Jesus and Cultural
Revolution: An Asian Perspective, Mumbai, Build, 1983.
91. For a brief summary discussion on this see S. Rayan, “Early

Christianity as Counter-Culture”, Ibid., pp.137- 141; see also Gerd
Theissen, The First Followers of Jesus: The Sociology of Early
Palestinian Christianity, London, SCM, 1978; and M.R. Arulraja,
Jesus the Dalit. Secunderabad, Jeevan Institute, 1996.
92. See Walter Fernandes, Caste and Conversion Movements in India:
Religion and Human Rights, New Delhi, Indian Social Institute,
1981; Duncan B. Forrester, Caste and Christianity: Attitudes and
Policies on Caste of Anglo-Saxon Protestant Missions in India,
London, Centre for South Asian Studies, University of London,
1980; and G. A. Oddie, Social Protest in India: British Protestant
Missionaries and Social Reforms 1850-1900, New Delhi, Manohar,
197; G.A. Oddie, Religion in South Asia: Religious Conversion
and Revival Movements in South Asia in Medieval and Modern
Times, New Delhi, Manohar, 1977; and John C.B. Webster, The
Dalit Christians: A History, Delhi, ISPCK, 1992; also see the
articles on the subject in Religion and Society 28, 4(1981); New
Quest 34(1982); Social Action 39 (1989).
93. See Note:14 above.
94. See M.E. Prabhakar, “Mission in a Dalit Perspective”.

83
THE COMMITMENT TO PEACE WITH JUSTICE
Introduction: “Just Peace”
The “peace” that was promised by Pax Romano in the

beginning of the First Millennium and by Pax Britannica during
the Second Millennium, and the “peace” now being offered by
the Corporate Globalism of the market are marked by imperialist
designs that tend to dominate than liberate. They have given us
the peace of “the graveyard”, the peace of the silenced subdued
masses and hungry millions, the peace of the absence of war
which in fact is the time for the preparation for another war, the
peace of the “law and order”, and the peace of “national security”
brought about by the armed forces.
In this context, the Christian tradition affirms: “No peace

without justice. ‘True peace is the work of Justice’ (Is. 32:17),
that moral virtue and legal guarantee, which ensures full respect
for rights and responsibilities, and the just distribution of benefits
and burdens”1. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church clearly
states: “Respect for and development of human life require
peace. Peace is not merely the absence of war, and it is not
merely limited to maintaining a balance of powers between
adversaries. Peace cannot be attained on earth without
safeguarding the goods of persons, free communication among
men, respect for the dignity of persons and peoples, and the
assiduous practice of fraternity. Peace is the ‘tranquility of order’.
Peace is the work of justice and the effect of charity”. 2
“In the service of the human family, the Church reaches

out to all men and women without distinction, striving to build
with them a civilization of love, founded upon the universal values
of peace, justice, solidarity and freedom, which find their fulfilment
in Christ”3. This statement of Pope John Paul II aptly describes
84 Commitment to Peace with Justice
the goal as well as the role of the Christian community in the

contemporary period. Peace with justice is the constitutive part
of the vocation and mission of Jesus Christ and the Church,
which is the community of his disciples. The Social Doctrine of
the Church not only contains the vision and values of peace
and justice, also as part of her mission of justice and peace, the
Church advocates certain principles and policies, and some
concrete paths and programmes for peace with justice.
This article* presents Church’s theological approaches to

peace with justice and her practical ways of striving for it along
with her proposals for realizing a harmonious human community
in the world. It quotes extensively from the official Social Doctrine
of the Church since many, even among Christians, may not be
aware of them. The Social Doctrine of the Church is purported
to be “the best kept secret of the Church”. The first part of the
article shows that peace with justice is essential part of the
Christian mission and message. The second part of the article
deals with the principles and policies of “Peace with Justice”, in
short, “Just Peace”. It underlines the methods and means for
building up “a society of just peace” that fulfils the human rights
of the Marginalised. In the third part, some of the important paths
and programmes for accomplishing the peace and harmony
among the groups and nations that are proposed by the Church
are explicated.
1.0. The Vision and Mission of Peace with Justice

1.1. Justice and Peace – Vital Part of Christian Mission
From the time of Vatican Council II, the documents of the
Christian tradition strongly emphasize the mission of Jesus
Christ in terms of proclaiming and establishing the Kingdom of
God, which is God’s rule in the hearts of the people and over
the nations of the world. St. Paul succinctly expresses the nature
85
of God’s reign when he writes: “The Kingdom of God does not

mean eating and drinking, but justice, peace and joy in the Holy
Spirit” (Rom. 14:17). The goal of Jesus’ life and ministry, the purpose
of all his words and deeds, and motive behind his suffering and
life-sacrifice, and the reason for his death and resurrection is to
bring about the Divine Reign on earth, as he himself said: “I must
proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom of God in other places
too. That is what I was sent to do” (Luke 4:43).
The Church’s evangelizing mission entails spreading the
Good News of the Kingdom of God and transforming the society
in accordance with God’s rule by realizing the civilization of
love, justice and peace through the way of loving service (prema
marga). The Church is set up to fulfill the mission of Lord Jesus
Christ by being a model and movement of the Kingdom. The
members of the Christian community, which includes people of
many ethnic groups and nations, are given the task of
transforming their societies:
It is true the Church is not an end unto herself, since
she is ordered towards the Kingdom of God of which
she is the seed, sign and instrument.4 The Church is
the sacrament of salvation for all mankind, and her
activity is not limited only to those who accept her
message. She is the dynamic force in mankind’s journey
towards the eschatological Kingdom, and is the sign and
promoter of Gospel values. The Church contributes to
the mankind’s pilgrimage of conversion to God’s plan
through her witness and through such activities as
dialogue, human promotion, commitment to justice and
peace, education and care of the sick, and aid to the
poor and to children.5 A commitment to peace, justice,
human rights and human promotion is also a witness to
the Gospel when it is a sign of concern for persons and
is directed towards integral human development.6
1.2. Struggles for achieving the Just Peace
While admitting that not all the Christian individuals and

groups have been promoters of justice and peace, in fact some
have acted even detrimental to it, one can also show in the last
two millennia numerous saints, religious societies and lay groups
have been striving for justice and peace in various parts of the
world. More known among them is St. Francis of Assisi, who
prayed: “Lord, make me an instrument of peace”. In the thirteenth
century, amidst the “holy wars” between the Muslims and
Christians he courageously undertook to be an ambassador
for peace. Similarly, Saint Erasmus ventured to meet and
establish dialogue with the Muslim Caliphs in the sixteenth
century. The pacifist groups like the Quakers, Mennonite
Brethren, and Amish Community are also widely known.
In our times, the movements led by Martin Luther King Jr.,

Cesar Chavez, Helder Camara, Dorothy Day, Nelson Mandela
and Desmond Tutu have proved to be models for the promoters of
“peace and justice”. The non-violent method used by them patterned
on the Gandhian Satyagraha unleashes the power of love
bestowed by Jesus Christ to bring about justice and peace. Some
of the international ecumenical and interfaith groups involved in
peacemaking are: the Fellowship of Reconciliation, the Christian
Peace Conference, and Women’s International League for Peace
and Freedom. During the Second World War, the European
Catholics began a peace movement called Pax Christi
International, which has now spread to all the continents.7
Numerous Christian and interfaith social action groups and

people’s movements are involved all over the world in the
struggle for peace with justice. They are organized from the
local level to the national and global level. The first among them
to be taken notice of by others is the Latin American socio-
pastoral movement called Basic Christian Communities, which
87
gave rise to the Liberation Theology in the 1970s. Praxis and

Theology of Liberation is not confined to Latin America alone
though that has become popular. During the same period, the
struggles of the Blacks in USA gave rise to Black Theology,
similarly, the struggles of the fisherpeople and workers projected
Indian Liberation Theology,8 and the praxis of farmers produced
the Theology of Struggle in the Philippines9. The 1980s witnessed
the eruption of the marginalized groups all over the world claiming
dignity and identity. Feminist Theology coming from the women’s
struggles and Eco-Theology from the environmental and Green
movements sprang up in many parts of the world.10
The protests for just peace and reflections of the Dalits in

India are mentioned in the Dalit Sahitya and Dalit Theology11,
while the people of South Korea came up with Minjung Theology.
These voices of the victims12 who dared to speak have given
rise to the People’s Theology, which is different from the
traditional theology of the clergy, and the classical theology of
the academic professionals13. From 1990s the local struggle
groups began to network nationally and inter-continentally leading
to the global struggles in 2000s. Their united struggles against
the Trans National Corporations, the trinity of the global market
namely the WTO, IMF and the World Bank, and imperialist
governments, that unleash unjust war and invasion on other
countries, have taken the global form of World Social Forum
and other continental forms like the Asian Social Forum.
Asserting, “Another World is Possible”, many ecumenical,
interfaith, Christian groups and organizations, and some organs
of the Church are involved in this process from the beginning.
The Popes of the contemporary period have been real

Pontiffs, which literally means bridge-builders, who have taken
keen interest to preserve, protect and promote peace with justice
in the international level:
In modern times, the Popes have played an important

role in the promotion and defense of peace. Benedict
XV had sent an exhortation to the belligerents in 1915
and an important Note to the leaders of the nations
involved in the war (August 1, 1917). He later published
the Encyclical Pacem Dei (1920). As we have noticed,
Pius XII is famous for his Christmas messages
especially during the time of World War II. John XXIII
wrote the encyclical Pacem in Terris (1963), which
attracted much attention even at the United Nations...
Paul VI instituted, in 1968, a Day of Peace to be

celebrated each year on the 1st of January. The peace
messages published by the Popes on these yearly
celebrations have gained a wide audience within the
Church, among government leaders, and the public at
large. The Popes have come to be identified with the
cause of peace and human rights, and 119 nations now
have a diplomatic representation at the Vatican and they
give great weight to this particular mission of modern
papacy. To underline still the commitment of the Church
for problems related to justice, peace, development and
human rights, Paul VI created, in 1967, a special
department of the Holy See now called the Pontifical
Council for Justice and Peace.14
Pope Paul VI boldly condemned, “the butchery of untold

magnitude, (as) at Hiroshima on 6 August 1945.”15 Pope John
Paul II in many of his Encyclicals and Messages for the World
Day of Peace, which form a premier for peace, has stressed
that justice and peace form the part of the Church’s mission
and has indicated many paths for the same. This article draws
heavily from them. His bold stand against Iraq war in 2001 is an
example for religious leaders to emulate in the future.
89
1.3. Building up of the Civilization of Love
The realization of the Divine Reign of justice and peace is

possible only with love, fellowship and communion among all.
Hence, fostering the vision and work of the “civilization of love”
has been the main concern of Pope Paul VI who coined the term,
and of his worthy successor, the Pope John Paul II who reiterated:
I feel it is necessary to repeat that, for the establishment
of true peace in the world, justice must find its fulfillment
in charity… Justice and love sometimes appear to be
opposing forces. In fact they are but two faces of single
reality, two dimensions of human life needing to be
mutually integrated. Historical experience shows this is
to be true. It shows how justice is frequently unable to
free itself from rancour, hatred and even cruelty. By itself,
justice is not enough. Indeed, it can even betray itself,
unless it is open to that deeper power of love…
Love must thus enliven every sector of human life and

extend to the international order. Only a humanity in
which there reigns the “civilization of love” will be able to
enjoy authentic and lasting peace… I wish to repeat to
women and men of every language, religion and culture
the ancient maxim: “Omnia vincit amor” (Love conquers
all). Yes, dear Brothers and Sisters through out the world,
in the end love will be victorious! Let everyone be
committed to hastening this victory. For it is the deepest
hope of every human heart.16
2.0. Ways of realizing a Society of Just Peace

2.1. Pillars and Principles for Model Society
The Church documents often criticize the consumerist
materialistic model of the society. This model of the society and
the New Economic World Order proposed by the proponents

of the corporate globalism, which is the latest avatar of
capitalism and a new form of liberalism and neo-colonialism,
has been subjected to severe criticism by the religious
authorities and the activists of the Christian tradition. They
denounce this new socio-economic order because it is based
on economism and consumerism, it is ushered in by the
process of liberalization and privatization that is not in favour
of the poor, and because it places profits before the people.
Not only the economic justice also the cultural and ethical
values are jeopardized by this process of globalization as
the Pope and the Asian Bishops point out:
Considering the question of human promotion in Asia,
the Synod Fathers recognized the importance of the
process of economic globalization. While acknowledging
its many positive effects, they pointed out that
globalization has also worked to the detriment of the poor,
tending to push poorer countries to the margin of
international economic and political relations. Many
Asian nations are unable to hold their own in a global
market economy. And perhaps more significantly, there
is also the aspect of a cultural globalization, made
possible by the modern communications media, which
is quickly drawing Asian societies into a global consumer
culture that is both secularist and materialist. The result
is an eroding of traditional family and social values, which
until now had sustained peoples and societies. All of
this makes it clear that the ethical and moral aspects of
globalization need to be more directly addressed by the
leaders of the nations and by organizations concerned
with human promotion.
The Church insists upon the need for, “globalization

without marginalization”. With the Synod Fathers, I call
upon the particular Churches everywhere, and especially
91
those in the Western countries, to work to ensure that

the Church’s social doctrine has its due impact upon
the formulation of ethical and juridical norms for regulating
the world’s free markets and for the means of social
communication. Catholic leaders and professionals
should urge governments and financial and trade
institutions to recognize and respect such norms.17
The model of the society promoted by Christian tradition is

based on the values of Truth, Justice, Love and Freedom as
the pillars of Peace. In his Message for the World Day of Peace
of 2003, which marked also the fortieth anniversary of the
Encyclical letter Pacem in Terris published by Pope John XXIII,
Pope John Paul II reiterated them as the Pillars for Peace. Along
with these pillars for peace, the Christian tradition consistently
emphasizes some basic principles, which must serve as the
foundation for the just and peaceful society:
a) The person and its spiritual dignity, freedom,
responsibility;
b) The family as the basic cell of society;
c) The sense of solidarity among citizens that inspires
care for the common good of society and a special
attention for the poor;
d) The right to private ownership, to be reconciled with
the common destination of all material things created
for the benefit of all;
e) The principle of justice, equality, and responsibility,
applied to all partners of economic activity;
f) The value of work considered in its individual and
social aspects, the worker being valued more than
the product of his work;
g) The moral accountability of civil leaders, whose
authority is grounded on theological and philosophical
foundations;
h) The search for universal brotherhood and peace,

through a just international.18
2.2. Human Rights – a Way to Peace

The Christian tradition is widely recognized for its emphasis
on social service and the Christians are lauded by the Indian
national leaders and the citizens alike for the social welfare
activities in the field of education, health work and other charitable
institutions for the orphans, disabled and the destitute. The nuns,
priests and lay volunteers of numerous social service societies
and of many organizations like the Missionaries of Charities of
Blessed Mother Theresa render their service. These socio-
pastoral workers bring the consolation and compassion, and
care and concern to the neglected and deprived. What is not
well known is the Christian tradition of advocating and
struggling for social justice and human rights of the
marginalized groups through social action groups and
people’s movements. Father A.T. Thomas, Sister Rani Maria,
Rev. Graham Steins, Father Arul Raj, Sister Valsa John and
other such Christians were killed by the dominant groups
precisely because they were organizing the Dalits and the
Adivasis for their human rights.
Over the last hundred years, the Holy See has legitimately
earned for itself the reputation of being a universal voice
sustaining human rights. In public opinion, the Church stands
clearly for social justice and for the defense of human
brotherhood. Modern Popes and Bishops appear as the
strenuous advocates of human dignity. Already in 1963, John
XXIII, in Pacem in Terris19, had publicly acknowledged the
fundamental value of the United Nations’ Declaration of Human
Rights. The Church has also contributed efficiently in interpreting
the declaration of Human Rights as a continuous and growing
process. John Paul II firmly recognized, in his speech at the
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United Nations in New York, on October 2, 1979, this desired

progress, which is part of today’s culture.
Among the human rights, the Christian tradition lays stress

on the right to development, the right to life and the right to
religious freedom. “The right to development must be seen as a
dynamic interpenetration of all those fundamental human rights
upon which the aspirations of individuals and nations are based.”
(Synod of Bishop, Justice in the World, 1971). The Church in
many Documents, in the context of increasing abortions, deaths
by euthanasia, wars, genocides, terrorism and capital
punishment, all of which are opposed by the Church, stresses
the right to life. The right to religious freedom and the freedom of
conscience get highlighted due to the opposition to the voluntary
religious conversion and the persecutions, even torture in some
places for one’s beliefs and convictions. From the Second
Vatican Council onwards, the Church has unilaterally declared
that the religious conversion made with force, coercion, favours,
deceit, or fear is against human dignity; it is inhuman as well as
anti-Christian.20
In his Message for the World Day of Peace of 1988, which

marked the fortieth anniversary of United Nations’ Declaration
of Human Rights, Pope John Paul II again stated emphatically,
“the human rights are a way to peace with justice”. In 1999, to
mark the completion of its fiftieth year he issued the Message,
“Respect for Human Rights: The Secret of True Peace”. This
document begins by reminding what the Pope had written
twenty years ago: “Peace flourishes when these rights are
fully respected, but when they are violated what comes is
war, which causes other still graver violations.” The Pope
insists that the human beings have the right to peace: “In a
sense, promoting the right to peace ensures respect for all
other rights, since it encourages the building of a society in
which structures of power give way to structures of

cooperation, with a view to the common good”21. He also
advocates along with other rights, which are traditionally
grouped under civil and political rights, and economic, social
and cultural rights, the right to education, the right to work,
and the right to clean environment.
2.3. Transformation of Social Structures
As Pope Paul VI affirms, “Animated by the power of the

Spirit of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of mankind, and upheld by
hope, the Christian involves himself in the building up of the
human city, one that is to be peaceful, just and fraternal and
acceptable as an offering to God”.22 Peace with justice calls for
societal structures that are socially egalitarian, economically
socialistic, politically participatory, culturally creative, religiously
fraternal, spiritually liberative, and environmentally sustainable.
Only a holy, holistic, healthy and harmonious society can enjoy
wholesome peace. The Christian tradition in its preaching and
practice strives to bring about such a social order by infusing the
Gospel values and its dynamism for renewing the history. The
transformation of individual hearts and social structures in
conformity with the Divine Reign is part of “making disciples of
all nations” (Mathew 28:19).
The Church accepts that she is not an expert in economic

and political matters, and so, she does not propose a particular
form of social system, economic order, and political ideology.
While cautioning about the rigid, dogmatic, readymade, outmoded
ideological social systems, the Church invites its members to
“read the signs of the times”, “discern in the light of the Gospel”,
and with dialogue and cooperation of others find new solutions
for the present day problems. This is the method of discernment
proposed by the Church for social transformation.23 It involves
95
social analysis using human sciences, fidelity to the Christian

values and principles, and “reflection applied to the changing
situations of this world, under the driving force of the Gospel as
the source of renewal” (Paul VI, Octogesimo Adveniens, 1971,
n. 42). This discernment and reflection does not stop with
interpretation and theology, it leads to praxis and struggles for
social change and transformation, through conscientization and
organization of action groups. The evil forces of sinful structures
and the social sin are to be replaced by the just structures and
civilisation of love advocated by the Church.
Justice and peace are not possible when some human

beings are treated as lesser beings, and some groups claim to
be more equal than and superior to the others. Based on the
basic human dignity and equality of all human beings, no one
can justify racism, casteism, and patriarchy. While condemning
all forms of social discrimination, the Second Vatican Council in
its document, “Church in the Modern World”, boldly calls for
their immediate eradication:
With respect to the fundamental rights of the person,
every type of discrimination, whether social or cultural,
whether based on sex, race, color, social condition,
language, or religion, is to be overcome and eradicated
as contrary to God’s intent… For excessive economic
and social differences between the members of the one
human family or population groups cause scandal, and
militate against social justice, equity, the dignity of the
human person, as well as social and international
peace…The human institutions, both private and public,
must labour to minister to the dignity and purpose of
humans. At the same time, let them put up a stubborn
fight against any kind of slavery, whether social or
political, and safeguard the basic rights of humans under
every political system.24
All over the world, women need to be liberated from the

patriarchal system and its dominating discriminative practices
and given equal rights and dignity. In the Indian context, the
abolition of caste system with its exclusivism, hierarchical
domination and caste discrimination is necessary for a just and
peaceful society. This is why, the CBCI condemned the caste
discrimination as sinful, inhuman and unchristian. And Pope
John Paul II also urged the Bishops from Tamil Nadu to bring
about such a social transformation.
Together with the abolition of all traditional forms of

domination and discrimination, the contemporary forms of
slavery such as the child labour, domestic labour, prostitution,
drug addiction, and discrimination of the elderly and people with
diseases like leprosy and HIV-AIDS, are to be eliminated.
Positively, it is essential to foster communion among the people
of all castes, religions, races, languages, cultures, regions and
nations. The principle of solidarity is taught by the Church to
encourage this process of association and unification among
the people of same category, and fraternity and charity for other
people, especially for aligning with the weak. The “other” who is
different from us is not a stranger much less an enemy, we are
his / her neighbours and helpers. “Solidarity”, the term
popularized by Pope John Paul II, refers also to the sharing of
goods both temporal and spiritual.
“Solidarity is manifested in the first place by the distribution

of goods and remuneration for work. It also presupposes the
effort for more just social order where tensions are better able
to be reduced and conflicts more readily settled by negotiation”26.
Thus, the Church advocates the right to possession of earthly
goods through agricultural land reforms in order to distribute
justly the properties and natural resources.27 Pope John Paul
II, who himself was a worker and daily wage earner stands
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firmly for the dignity of the laborers demanding living wages and
right to work with employment guarantee.28 Church does not
rule out labour unions and legal strikes to express protest against
injustices, when negotiations fail.29
Only the integrally developed society can be a just and

peaceful society. Integral development that includes the
development of whole person in all aspects and of all the people
in all the nations is essential for peace. This, according to the
Popes demands the right to development, the universal
destination of created earthly goods, the focused effort on the
common good of all in the society at large, and international
moral order:
Growth by itself is not enough; it is necessary to consider
development in its qualitative as in its quantitative
aspects. Integral development means more than just
economic progress, it refers also to the growth of persons
in their cultural and spiritual dimensions, and it embraces
the progress of all. At the root of the unjust situations of
so many peoples, there is the moral underdevelopment
of those who could and should participate in the solutions
of these problems. The Encyclical deals with various
means for creating world solidarity, through international
assistance and cooperation, in order to attain the all-
embracing goal, which should be “the development of
the whole of man and of all men”. A key sentence in
Paul VI’s Letter has particularly struck public opinion
worldwide: “Development is the new name for peace”.30
3.0. Paths to accomplish the Peace with Justice

3.1. Prevention of War and Disarmament
Since the Third Millennium has begun with wars and
terrorist attacks in various part of the world, international and
national attempts to prevent war and bring about disarmament

need to be multiplied. Wars are let leashed by the governments
with imperialist intensions and by the well-organized groups
coloured with religio-cultural ideologies. Weapons of mass
destructions are used for carpet-bombing of the civilian areas
and natural resources, which make the “just war” theory not
applicable any more. Human bombs used for terrorist attacks
with technological precision reduce the human beings, both the
so-called “martyrs” and the victims, to instruments and ploys,
and thus dehumanize them. The protest against war has now
become a mass movement as witnessed on the eve of Iraq war
when millions marched in many cities to stop it. Pope John Paul
II, who tried to prevent the Iraq war with various efforts of
diplomatic delegations and negotiations (Johnstone: 2003),
denounces all forms of war:
“No to war!” War is not always inevitable. It is a defeat
for humanity. International law, honest dialogue, solidarity
between States, the noble exercise of diplomacy: these
are the methods worthy of individuals and nations in
resolving their differences. I say this as I think of those
who still place their trust in nuclear weapons and of the
all-too-numerous conflicts, which continue to hold
hostage our brothers and sisters in humanity.31
Arms race especially by the developing countries cannot

be justified. Complete nuclear disarmament of all countries by
mutual understanding and verification is a must for the
prevention of arms race. The theory of the possession of nuclear
weapons as a “deterrent” does not seem to be holding water
anymore in the present juncture. The Church urges the
governments to take up disarnament to save lives and
expenses:
Especially troubling in Asia is the continual race to acquire
weapons of mass destruction, an immoral and wasteful
99
expenditure in national budgets, which in some cases

cannot even satisfy people’s basic needs. The Synod
Fathers also spoke of the vast number of landmines in
Asia, which have maimed or killed hundreds of
thousands of innocent people, while despoiling fertile
land, which could otherwise be used for food production.
It is the responsibility of all, especially of those who
govern nations, to work more energetically for
disarmament.
The Synod called for a stop to the manufacture, sale

and use of nuclear, chemical and biological arms and urged
those who have set landmines to assist in the work of
rehabilitation and restoration. Above all the Synod Fathers
prayed to God, who knows the depths of every human
conscience, to put sentiments of peace in the hearts of
those tempted to follow the ways of violence so that the
biblical vision will become a reality: “they shall beat their
swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning
hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither
shall they learn war any more” (Is 2: 4).32
3.2. Peacemaking and Reconciliation

The efforts at peacemaking and conflict resolution through
mediation, negotiation, consensus building, mutual agreements,
forgiveness and other forms of reconciliation are urgent needs
of our times. Some individual Christians, groups and institutions
are involved in the process. Best known among them is the
Truth and Reconciliation Commission set up by the South
African government headed by Archbishop Desmond Tutu
regarding the crimes of Apartheid. Another one is Peruvian Truth
and Reconciliation Commission. Through all these, the Christians
are exercising the ministry of reconciliation entrusted to them,
as the Pope reminds us:
100Commitment to Peace with Justice
At the end of the twentieth century the world is still

threatened by forces, which generate conflicts and wars,
and Asia is certainly not exempt from these. Among
these forces are intolerance and marginalization of all
kinds - social, cultural, political and even religious. Day
by day fresh violence is inflicted upon individuals and
entire peoples, and the culture of death takes hold in the
unjustifiable recourse to violence to resolve tensions.
Given the appalling situation of conflict in so many parts

of the world, the Church is called to be deeply involved
in international and interreligious efforts to bring about
peace, justice and reconciliation. She continues to insist
on the negotiated and non-military resolution of conflicts,
and she looks to the day when nations will abandon war
as a way of vindicating claims or a means of resolving
differences. She is convinced that war creates more
problems than it ever solves, that dialogue is the only
just and noble path to agreement and reconciliation, and
that the patient and wise art of peacemaking is especially
blessed by God.33
3.3. Retribution and Cancellation of Foreign Debt
The peace with justice demands that those who were

subjected to injustice must receive retribution by way of
compensation. The positive affirmation given to the Blacks in
USA, and the Constitutional reservations accorded to the Dalits
and Adivasis in India are only a small part of this process. The
Jewish people subjected to the genocide by Hitler’s Nazi
concentration camps are also being considered for
compensation. In this regard, the demands of the African people
who were forced to be slaves, and of the American and Australian
Indigenous Peoples and Natives are justified. In India, the Dalits
101
and Adivasis are to be added to this list of those who are to be

given retribution, for depriving them of their human rights,
resources and facilities, and for taking over their natural
habitations. Another category that deserves compensation is
the group of colonized countries. One way of doing this is to
write off the debts of these countries by the developed colonizing
countries, which transferred the natural, agricultural, and
industrial goods from them while millions were dying of famine.
To restore the respect and dignity of these countries, the
colonizers must forthwith return all the precious articles still
adorning their rulers and embellishing their museums.
The Church led by the Popes urges the developed

countries to cancel the foreign debt that ultimately benefits the
powerful and burdens the poor. Along with international aid to
be given to the poor nations, the Church insists that fair trade
and just business transactions would bring them more benefits:
Among the more obvious are renegotiations of debts,

with either substantial reduction or outright cancellation,
as also business ventures and investments to assist
the economies of the poorer countries. At the same time,
the Synod Fathers also addressed the debtor countries.
They emphasized the need to develop a sense of
national responsibility, reminding them of the importance
of sound economic planning, transparency and good
management, and invited them to wage a resolute
campaign against corruption. They called upon the
Christians of Asia to condemn all forms of corruption
and the misappropriation of public funds by those holding
political power. The citizens of debtor countries have
too often been victims of waste and inefficiency at home,
before falling victim to the international debt crisis34.
3.4. Education for Peace and Justice

The Church is appreciated worldwide for its educational
institutions. But, have they been instruments of peace with
justice? Have they inculcated the values of love, peace, justice,
cooperation and sharing or the false values of competition,
profiteering, and domination in the name of success, merit, and
excellence? Have they unwittingly added to the number of
powerful oppressors and strengthened the already existing ones
by equipping them with information and skills? No doubt most
of them do it with good intension and dedication for others. The
Synod of Bishops itself has admitted that all is not well with the
Catholic education system. It calls for valued-based education
and social education to the pupils, and conscientization and
people’s education to the poor:
The method of education very frequently still in us today
encourages narrow individualism. Part of human family
lives immersed in a mentality, which exalts possessions.
The school and the communication media, which are
often obstructed by the established order. But education
demands renewal of heart, a renewal based on the
recognition of sin in its individual and social
manifestations. It will also inculcate a truly and entirely
human way of life in justice, love and simplicity. It will
likewise awaken a critical sense, which will lead to reflect
on the society in which we live and its values; it will
make men ready to renounce these values when they
cease to promote justice for all men. In the developing
countries, the principle aim of this education for justice
consists in an attempt to awaken consciences to a
knowledge of the concrete situation and in a call to
secure a total improvement; by these means the
transformation of the world has already begun.35
103
From the very first year of his pontificate, Pope John Paul
II was insisting on “An ever timely Commitment: Teaching
Peace”, reminding all the people of good will about it:
In my (first) Message for the World Day of Peace On 1
January 1979, I made this appeal: To Reach Peace,
Teach Peace. Today the appeal is more urgent than
ever, because men and women, in the face of the
tragedies, which continue to afflict humanity, are
tempted to yield to fatalism, as if peace were an
unattainable ideal. The Church, on the other hand,
has always taught and continues today to teach a
very simple axiom: peace is possible. Indeed, the
Church does not tire of repeating that peace is a duty.
It must be built on the four pillars indicated by blessed
John XXIII in his Encyclical Pacem in Terris: truth,
justice, love and freedom. A duty is thus imposed upon
all those who love peace: that of teaching these ideals
to new generations, in order to prepare a better future
for all mankind… Certainly law is the first road leading
to peace, and people need to be taught to respect
that law. Yet one does not arrive at the end of this road
unless justice is complemented by love.36
3.5. Dialogue and Collaboration
For actualising the mission of communion and peace, the

ministry of dialogue is the process. The ecumenical and
interreligious dialogue is a path and part of the evangelizing mission
of ushering in the Divine Reign of love, justice and peace:
As the sacrament of unity of all mankind, Church cannot

but enter into dialogue with all peoples, in every time
and place… Her efforts to engage in dialogue are
directed in the first place to those who share her belief
in Jesus Christ the Lord and Saviour. It extends beyond
the Christian world to the followers of every other

religious tradition, on the basis of religious yearning found
in every human heart. Ecumenical dialogue and
interreligious dialogue constitute a veritable vocation for
the Church.”37.
Taking up dialogue and collaboration with members of other

ecclesial communities, religious traditions, cultural groups, fronts
and parties with ideologies, the marginalised groups struggling
for identity, and the people’s movements for equality, is the way
to bring about the just peace and the civilization of love:
Dialogue leads to a recognition of diversity and opens
the mind to the mutual acceptance and genuine
collaboration demanded by the human family’s basic
vocation to unity. As such, dialogue is a privileged means
for building the civilization of love and peace that
predecessor Pope Paul VI indicated as the ideal to
inspire cultural, social, political, and economic life of our
time. At the beginning of the Third Millennium, it is urgent
that the path of dialogue be proposed once again to a
world marked by excessive conflict and violence, a world
at times discouraged and incapable of seeing signs of
hope and peace.38
3.6. Forgiveness and Purification of Memories

The most effective path for the realization of peace and
justice, in the human hearts as well as in the world, is forgiveness
and purification of memories. Closer to us, the courageous words
of forgiveness showered like a gentle rain by Gladys Steins on
the flames of hatred that literally consumed her husband and
two children is still fresh in our hearts. The event of Pope John
Paul II forgiving the man, who attempted to assassinate him, by
meeting him in his prison cell, is still etched in our memories.
105
Also the occasion, when he begged for forgiveness clinging to

the Cross, during the first week of Lent in the Jubilee year 2000,
for the many mistakes committed by the Church down the
centuries, including holy war, inquisition, forced conversion,
discrimination of women and others and division in the Church,
and for the condemnation of persons like Galileo and Martin
Luther, is historical. The Pope insists that the purification of the
past memories is brought about by forgiveness and reconciliation
in his Message titled, “No Peace without Justice; No Justice
without Forgiveness”:
“True peace therefore is the fruit of justice” (Is 32: 17),
that moral virtue and legal guarantee, which ensures full
respect for rights and responsibilities, and the just
distribution of benefits and burdens. But because human
justice is always fragile and imperfect, subject as it is to
the limitations and egoism of individuals and groups, it
must include and, as it were, be completed by the
forgiveness, which heals and rebuilds troubled human
relations from their foundations. Forgiveness is in no
way opposed to justice, as if to forgive meant to overlook
the need to right the wrong. Justice and forgiveness are
both essential to heals the wounds, which fester in
human hearts. This is true in circumstances great and
small, at the personal or on a wider, even international
scale…. Justice and forgiveness are both essential to
such a healing”.39
Dialogue in fact is often difficult because it is weighed

down by the tragic heritage of war, conflict, violence and
hatred, which lives on in people’s memory. For the
barriers caused by the non-communication to be bridged,
the path to take is the path of forgiveness and
reconciliation. Many people, in the name of disillusioned
realism, maintain that this is a utopian and naïve path.
From the Christian point of view it is the only path, which

leads to the goal of peace. The eyes of the believers
contemplate the image of the Crucified One. Shortly
before dying, Jesus exclaims: “Father, forgive them, for
they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34)… Gazing upon
the Crucified One we are filled with confidence that
forgiveness and reconciliation can become the normal
practice of everyday life and of every culture, and thus
a real opportunity for building humanity’s peace and
future. Mindful of significant Jubilee experience of the
purification of memory, I wish to make a specific appeal
to Christians to become witnesses to and missionaries
of forgiveness and reconciliation.40
3.7. Religions for Justice and Peace

Originally many of the religious traditions were socio-cultural
movements or bhakti movements of the Backward Class people
led by the holy prophets for justice and peace. As the time
passed, the original experience, charisma and spirit of the
founding prophet, who was critical, reformative and creative,
gets institutionalized and passes into the hands of the dominant
groups. Presently, the theologies of liberation found in many
religious communities attempt to go back to the original sources
and re-interpret them to the present context of injustice and
inequality, and domination and division, and try to make the
religious traditions again relevant, constructive and creative.
This hermeneutical process must continue in all the religious
traditions leading to the critical denunciation of evil forces, and
annunciation of hope and alternative just peaceful society.
Religious traditions must become again movements for

justice and peace. Their leaders must join hands and collaborate
in the efforts to stop the organized injustice of the feudal and
corporate forces, and the structural injustice of the governments.
107
They must be bold enough to condemn them as “foxes” as

Jesus denounced the evil king Herod. They must speak out
against casteism, sexism, corporatism, consumerism,
communalism, racism, patriarchy, corruption, environmental
destruction and other institutionalized evils. False devotion,
hypocritical religiosity, superstitious piety, legalism, dogmatism
and ritualism must not be encouraged. Religion should not be
allowed to be exploited by the powerful for profit and for politics.
Let neither the “Mammon / Money” as Jesus Christ warned, nor
the “Food / Belly” as St. Paul cautioned, be our “gods”.
Pope John Paul II became a model for all the religious

leaders in denouncing terrorism, violence and war in the name
of God and religion. He categorically condemned Iraq war
as theologically and morally unjustified, unethical and
unnecessary, and as more destructive than useful to achieve
the goals set for it. He declared boldly: “Violence never again!
War never again! Terrorism never again! In the name of God,
may every religion bring upon the earth justice and peace,
forgiveness and life, love”.41 He appealed to all the religious
leaders to stop terrorism:
It is precisely peace born of justice and forgiveness that

is under assault today by international terrorism.
Terrorism springs from hatred, and it generates isolation,
mistrust and closure. It must be firmly stated that the
injustices existing in the world can never be used to
excuse acts of terrorism. Terrorism exploits just people,
it exploits God. Consequently no religious leader can
condone terrorism, and much less preach it. It is a
profanation of religion to declare oneself a terrorist in
the name of God… The various Christian confessions,
as well as the world’s great religions, need to work
together to eliminate the social and cultural causes of
terrorism. They can do this by teaching the greatness
and dignity of the human person, and by spreading a

clearer sense of the oneness of the human family42.
Along with focusing their teaching on the oneness of the

human family, the religious leaders must stress the values of
justice, peace, preferential concern for the poor and integral
liberation of the oppressed. In the wake of hate campaign that
resulted in the Gujarat genocidal carnage and Orissa pogrom,
a campaign of love and communal harmony must be promoted.
Prayer is another powerful means the Pope John Paul II

wished to utilize for promoting global peace. He invited the
religious heads and leaders of traditions to pray together in Assisi
and Rome, as he himself recalls:
My many encounters with representatives of other

religions – I recall especially the meeting in Assisi in
1986 and in St. Peter’s Square in 1999 have made me
more confident that mutual openness between the
followers of the various religions can greatly serve the
cause of peace and the common good of the human
family 43 … For all these reasons I have invited
representatives of the world’s religions to come to Assisi,
the town of Saint Francis, on January 2002, to pray for
peace… may a more intense prayer rise from the hearts
of all believers for the victims of terrorism, for their
families so tragically stricken, for all the peoples who
continue to be hurt and convulsed by terrorism and war.
In these troubled times, may the whole human family
find true and lasting peace, born of the marriage of justice
and mercy.44
October 27, 2011 was the twenty-fifth anniversary of the

historic meeting for peace in the town of Assisi called by Pope
109
John Paul II. To mark the occasion, Pope Benedict XVI made a
pilgrimage to that city of St. Francis along with the representatives
of other religions and non-believers, for a day of reflection,
dialogue, and prayer for peace and justice in the world under
the theme: “Pilgrims of Truth, Pilgrims of Peace”. During this
meeting, Pope Benedict XVI made the following statements
reiterating the resolutions of the previous such gatherings:
Twenty-five years have passed since Blessed Pope
John Paul II first invited representatives of the world’s
religions to Assisi to pray for peace… The fact that, in
the case we are considering here, religion really does
motivate violence should be profoundly disturbing to us
as religious persons. In a way that is more subtle but no
less cruel, we also see religion as the cause of violence
when force is used by the defenders of one religion
against others. The religious delegates who were
assembled in Assisi in 1986 wanted to say, and we now
repeat it emphatically and firmly: this is not the true nature
of religion. It is the antithesis of religion and contributes
to its destruction…
Finally I would like to assure you that the Catholic Church
will not let up in her fight against violence, in her
commitment for peace in the world. We are animated by
the common desire to be ‘pilgrims of truth, pilgrims of
peace’… Violence never again! War never again!
Terrorism never again! In the name of God, may every
religion bring upon the earth Justice and Peace,
Forgiveness and Life, Love.45
Conclusion
The Church, as part of her mission, must fulfill the divine

promise made to the world at the birth of Jesus Christ: “Peace
on earth to the people whom God favours” (Lk 2:14), and Jesus
assurance after his death and resurrection: “Peace be with you”
(Lk 24:36). Her commitment to building up the Civilization of
Love with Just Peace is an essential part and path of realizing
the Kingdom of God, for, when Jesus sent out the disciples to
proclaim the Goodnews of the Kingdom of God, he asked them
to begin with the greeting: “Peace to this house” (Lk 10:5) . To
promote the Just Peace in the world, the Church needs to
increase her networking with the ecumenical, interfaith and
secular organisations that work for the removal of all forms of
discrimination and deprivation that lead to conflicts and unrest,
and for the nuclear disarmament and elimination of weapons of
war. Any warfare and the accumulation of weapons ultimately
deprive and damage the Marginalised. Hence, the Church must
march with the Marginalised as they aspire and strive for just
peace, and support the struggles taken up by others for the
disarmament and for the global peace with justice.
Notes
* This article is a revised version of the essay, “Church’s Approaches
to Justice and Peace”, published in Journal of Indian Theology, Vol. II,
No. 2, May – August, 2009, pp. 06 – 26.
1. John Paul II, Message for the World Day of Peace, Vatican,
2002.
2. Catechism of the Catholic Church, No. 2304.
3. John Paul II, Ecclesia in Asia, Vatican, 1999, No. 32.
4. John Paul II, Redemptoris Missio, Vatican, 1990, No. 18.
5. Ibid., No. 20.
6. Ibid., No. 42.
7. Helder Camara et al, Peace Spirituality for Peace Makers, Antwerp,
Pax Christi International, 1981.
8. See Gustavo Gutierrez, A Theology of Liberation: History, Politics,
and Salvation,New York, Orbis Books, (1973), 1988; James Cone,
111
God of the Oppressed, New York, Seabury Press, 1975; For My

People: Black Theology and the Black Church, New York, Orbis
Books, 1984; and Anthoniraj Thumma, People’s Power: Asian /
Indian Liberation Theology, New Delhi, ISPCK, 2000.
9. Mary Rosario Battung et al, Religion and Society: Towards a
Theology of Struggle, Book I, Manila, Fides, 1988.
10. Micheal Amaladoss, Life in Freedom: Liberation Theologies from
Asia, Anand, Gujarat Sahitya Prakash, 1997; Anthoniraj Thumma,
Voice of the Victims: Movements and Models of People’s
Theology, New Delhi, ISPCK, 1999.
11. Anthoniraj Thumma, Dalit Liberation Theology: Ambedkarian
Perspective, New Delhi, ISPCK, 2000.
12. Anthoniraj Thumma, Voice of the Victims: Movements and Models
of People’s Theology, New Delhi, ISPCK, 1999.
13. Anthoniraj Thumma, Wisdom of the Weak: Foundations of People’s
14. Herve Carrier, The Social Doctrine of the Church Revisited,
Vatican, Pontifical Council for Peace and Justice, 1990, p. 28;
see also Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, Justice and
Peace: An Ever Present Challenge, Vatican, 2004; Ways of Peace
(A collection of the Messages from 1968 to 1986), Vatican; also
visit: http://www.justpeace.org/docu.htm
15. Paul VI, Populorum Progressio, Vatican, 1967.
2004, No. 10.
17. John Paul II, Ecclesia in Asia, Vatican, 1999, No. 39.
18. Herve Carrier, The Social Doctrine of the Church Revisited, p.20.
19. John XXIII, Pacem in Terris, Vatican, 1963.
20. Vatican Council II, Declaration on Religious Freedom (DH), 1965.
1988.
22. Paul VI, Message for the World Day of Peace, Vatican, 1971.
23. Paul VI, Octogesima Adveniens, Vatican, 1971, No. 42.
24. Vatican Council II, Church in the Modern World (GS), 1965, No.
29.
2003.
27. Vatican Council II, Church in the Modern World (GS), 1965, No.
71.
28. John Paul II, Laborem Exercens, Vatican, 1981, No. 18.
30. Herve Carrier, The Social Doctrine of the Church Revisited, p.30.
2003.
32. John Paul II, Ecclesia in Asia, No. 38.
33. Ibid.
34. Ibid.
35. Synod, 1971, No. 50, 51.
2004, No. 4, 10.
37. John Paul II, Ecclesia in Asia, Vatican, No. 29.
2001, No. 10.
2002.
40. Ibid.
41. Ibid.
42. Ibid.
2001, No. 9.
2002.
45. Pope Benedict XVI, Concluding Address of the Pilgrimage for
peace in the town of Assisi, quoted from press release of the
Vatican Information Service (VIS) dated 27-10-2011, Vatican City.
113
ADVANCING IN UNITY
THROUGH COLLECTIVE STRUGGLES
Introduction
The Second Vatican Council recognized and

acknowledged the ecumenical movement as the grace of the
Holy Spirit and urged all the Catholic faithful to participate actively
in the work of ecumenism: “Concern for restoring unity pertains
to the whole Church, faithful and clergy alike. It extends to
everyone, according to the potential of each, whether it be exercised
in daily living or in theological and historical studies.”1 “The search
for Christian Unity was one of the principal concerns of the Second
Vatican Council.”2. Following the Council, the Popes have given
priority to the ecumenical work in their ministry. Pope John Paul
II stated, “The ecumenical task is one of the pastoral priorities
of my Pontificate”3. Similarly Pope Benedict XVI made it clear in
his very first public address that promoting Christian unity is an
important item in his pastoral agenda.
During the last celebration of the Week of Prayer for

Christian Unity on Jan. 18, 2012, Pope Benedict XVI reminded
the Christians again that, “the Lack of unity among Christians
hinders the effective announcement of the Gospel and
endangers our credibility”. He noted that, “as far as the
fundamental truths of the faith are concerned, there is far more
that unites us than divides us... This is a great challenge for the
new evangelisation, which will be more fruitful if all Christians
together announce the truth of the Gospel and Jesus Christ,
and give a joint response to the spiritual thirst of our times”.5 In
conclusion, the Pope exhorted the faithful to unite more intensely
in prayer and “to increase shared witness, solidarity and
collaboration among Christians, in expectation of that glorious
114
Advancing in Unity through Collective Struggles
day when together we will all be able to celebrate the Sacraments

and profess the faith transmitted by the Apostles.”6
This article* outlines various aspects of ecumenism starting

with the ecumenical formation that is being neglected even though
it is vital to the promotion of the ecumenical movement. At the
same time, it attempts to underscore two crucial points on the
ecumenical movement. Firstly, it is to make clear that the coming
together of the Christians and the unity of the Churches and
ecclesial communities is neither aimed at gaining superiority over
other religions nor for power and hegemony in the world. Its purpose
is to promote the salvation and liberation of humanity by carrying
out the mission more effectively through united strength. Secondly,
in the ecumenical movement itself, that seems to move slowly
caught up as it is in the new crises related to the theological and
moral issues, progress can be better achieved by taking up
common pastoral ministries, social services and waging collective
struggles for justice unitedly. The Churches and Ecclesial
Communities can arrive at better understanding of each other
and grow in unity while marching together with the Marginalised.
That will ensure the shared witness, solidarity and collaboration
among Christians as the Pope exhorts.
1. Ecumenical Formation
“Priests should be convinced promoters of ecumenism,

hoping for the realization of the prayer of Jesus ‘that they may
all be one.’ (Jn 17:21), without allowing themselves to be
discouraged by local obstacles and misunderstandings that still
exist … They should do their best to have friendly relations with
religious leaders of other denominations, helping each other
wherever possible avoiding misunderstandings and slights,
which could only scandalize non-Christians.”7 To enable and
equip the priests as the promoters of ecumenism, the seminaries
115
must undertake seriously the ecumenical formation of

seminarians. “Adequate formation for ecumenical dialogue
needs to be included in the curriculum of the seminaries, houses
of formation and educational institutions.”8
Seminary is a formation community and an educational

community in progress as the Apostolic Exhortation Pastores
Dabo Vobis insists.9 It is not merely an academic institution
much less a residential college or hostel. Personal, spiritual,
intellectual, psycho-social and pastoral formation aimed at
priesthood and pastoral ministry takes place in the seminary.
Seminary is an ecclesial community which is “continuation
in the Church of the apostolic community gathered around
Jesus” where every one grows in communion with Him and
with others.10 Growing in communion needs to include also
establishing fraternal relationships with the pastors and
members of other Churches and Ecclesial Communities.
“The commitment to ecumenism (is) a duty of the Christian

conscience enlightened by faith and guided by love (UUS, 8).
This requires from everyone interior conversion and participation
in renewal in the Church. Consequently, formation in ecumenism
is crucial in order to enable each person to be prepared to make
his or her own contribution to the work of unity.”11 The objectives
of ecumenical formation in the seminaries are not only academic
and intellectual; imbibing the ecumenical spirit and acquiring
the disposition calls for much more as spelt out below:
z “The objective of ecumenical formation is that all
Christians be animated by the ecumenical spirit,
whatever their particular mission and task in the world
and society.”12
z “Ecumenical relations are a complex and delicate
reality which requires study and theological dialogue,
fraternal relations and contact, prayer and practical
116
co-operation. We are called work in all fields … Since

ecumenical formation is multi-leveled, preparing for
work in the fields just mentioned, it should aim not
only to impart cognitive information but also motivate
and enliven the ecumenical conversion and
commitment of the participants.”13
z “Seminarians are to be helped to imbibe an
ecumenical spirit, that is, a consciousness that through
Faith and Baptism all followers of Christ are bound
together in a common vocation before God, and a
common mission in the world ... This spirit and desire
is strengthened through personal contact and
increased knowledge of the beliefs, spiritual traditions
and forms of worship and activities of other
Christians.”14
“Ecumenism should be fully integrated into the theological
formation of those who are to engage in pastoral work, so as to
help them acquire ‘an authentically ecumenical disposition’. The
Directory calls for an introductory course specifically in
ecumenism. In addition, and even more importantly, it introduces
a new requirement: that the reflection and planning should be
undertaken in each discipline to ensure that an ecumenical
dimension permeates every subject taught.”15 A theological
course on Ecumenism with an assessment on the doctrinal
knowledge is obligatory. It needs to be accompanied by practical
ecumenical experience. This course of study may be organized
in two stages, first, a general introduction and later, further
specific treatment of Ecumenism.
According to the Document The Ecumenical Dimension in

the Formation of those Engaged in Pastoral Work,16 imparting
the theological knowledge on ecumenism needs to go hand in
hand with the inculcation of ecumenical spirituality and with
117
practical experience of ecumenical life and dialogue. Ecumenical

cooperation in formation and pastoral ministries by the
seminaries and theological faculties of the various Christian
Denominations is encouraged by the Directory for the Application
of Principles and Norms on Ecumenism.17
2. Ecumenical Spirituality
Ecumenical Spirituality is essentially a spirituality of

communion that entails growing in union with the Triune God
who is Communion and Love, increasing in the communion
within the Churches and Ecclesial Communities, and seeking
unity with other religions and ideologies. Fundamental change
of attitudes towards others from negative feeling to inter-
subjective loving approach is basic requirement of ecumenical
spirituality. “Spiritual Ecumenism” should be regarded as “the
soul of the whole ecumenical movement”. Its essential
ingredients, themes and practices include18 the necessity of
conversion and holiness of life; the value and importance for
ecumenism of prayer in common; the Week of Prayer for
Christian Unity; the variety of spirituality, piety and forms of
prayer in the different confessional traditions; emerging
ecumenical spirituality associated with common studies and
shared prayer events; and the idea of a common martyrology.
Requesting pardon from others and forgiving others is an

important part of Ecumenical Spirituality. The Council Fathers at
the Second Vatican Council, Pope Paul VI, John Paul II and Pope
Benedict XVI have requested the separated brethren for pardon
for the faults against unity and other negative episodes19. In relation
to this, Pope John Paul II during the Jubilee 2000 urged the
Christians to undertake the purification of memory, which is “an
act of courage and humility in recognizing the wrongs done by
those who have borne or bear the name of Christian.” 20
118
Praying for Christian unity is an essential part of Ecumenical

Spirituality. The Churches observe the Week of Prayer for
Christian Unity in the beginning of every year to remind the
Christians to start the practice and continue it throughout the
year. Pope John Paul II accorded a special status to the Week
of Prayer for Christian Unity in his Encyclical Letter Ut Unum
Sint. On Jan. 18, 2012, the day on which the Week of Prayer
for Christian Unity begins Benedict XVI in his general audience
made it a point to explain how this initiative has been held
annually for more than a century and brings together Christians
from Churches and Ecclesial Communities, who “invoke that
extraordinary gift for which the Lord Jesus prayed during the
Last Supper: ... ‘That they may all be one.” 22
At the conclusion of the Week on Jan. 25, 2012 during the

ecumenical prayer service that he presided along with the Heads
of Orthodox and Anglican Churches, the Pope again laid stress
on the need of prayer to transform the Christians for forging
unity: “As we say our prayers we trust that we too will be
transformed, conformed to the image of Christ… This holds
particularly true for our prayers for Christian unity... by means
of which we participate in God’s plan for the Church. Everyone
has the duty and responsibility to dedicate themselves to re-
establishing unity... United in Christ, we are called to share His
mission, which is to bring hope where injustice, hatred and
desperation dominate. Our divisions obscure our witness to
Christ. The goal of full unity, which we await with diligent hope
and for which we trustingly pray... is an important victory for the
good of the human family”.23
3. Ecumenical Theology
Ecumenical methodology is basic to the formulation of

Ecumenical Theology. It is experiential, contextual, dialogical,
119
interdisciplinary and interdenominational. When the ecumenical

methodology is properly employed, it brings in the ecumenical
dimension into all the disciplines of Theology. Key elements of
ecumenical methodology for the theological disciplines are24
Hermeneutics which is the art of correct interpretation and
communication with legitimate diversity, plurality and
complementary of expressions of faith; the “hierarchy of truths”;
the fruits of ecumenical dialogues; those elements Christians
hold in common; the points of disagreement; and the results of
the ecumenical dialogues.
The content of Ecumenical Theology includes the Catholic

Church’s commitment to Ecumenism; the fundamental role of
ecumenical dialogue; the Biblical foundations and doctrinal basis
for Ecumenism; the history, purpose and method of Ecumenism;
the relations between the Catholic Church and other Churches
and Ecclesial Communities; the principal areas for further
dialogue; Spiritual Ecumenism; collaboration in mission; the
areas of common witness and service; contemporary challenges
for Ecumenism and some current ecumenical issues.
The pastoral matters covered by Ecumenical Theology

include: practical guidelines about mutual recognition of Baptism,
ecumenical worship, sacramental sharing, the preparation,
celebration and pastoral care of mixed marriages, the conducting
of funerals, problems arising with the sects and new religious
movements; familiarity with the ecumenical directives,
guidelines and relevant Canons, and the information about local,
regional and national ecumenical organisations and
commissions.
4. Ecumenical Practice
Pope Benedict XVI summaries the main practices of
ecumenism and the progress made so far: ”The modern
120
ecumenical movement has undergone such considerable

development in the last century as to become an important
element in the life of the Church... It not only favours fraternal
relations between Churches and ecclesial communities, in
response to the commandment to love... but also stimulates
theological research. Furthermore, it involves the real life of
Churches and ecclesial communities, with themes that concern
pastoral care and sacramental life… Since Vatican Council II the
Catholic Church has forged fraternal relations with all the Churches
of the East and ecclesial communities of the West. In particular,
with most of them, she has established bilateral theological dialogue
that has been able to find points of convergence, even
consensus, on various matters, thus strengthening our bonds
of communion. Over the last twelve months, the various
dialogues have made important progress.” 25
As part of the ecumenical practice of the Church,26 visits

should be organized to the Churches and worship of other
Christian traditions. Meetings and exchanges can be arranged
with those in other Churches and ecclesial Communities.
Occasions should be found for common prayer with other
Christians especially, but not only, during the Week of Prayer
for Christian Unity. Joint study days and discussions will enable
experience of the doctrine and life of other Christians; and in
certain circumstances, it may be possible to invite lectures and
experts from other Christian traditions.
5. Ecumenical Cooperation
Following the Decree on Ecumenism,27 the Pontifical

Council for Promoting Christian Unity in Directory for the
Application of Principles and Norms on Ecumenism, Part V,
has enumerated diverse forms and areas of ecumenical
cooperation, dialogue, common witness and collective service
to be undertaken by the dioceses and parishes. They can
121
collaborate in the common pastoral programmes and ministries

listed below:
z Ecumenical Dialogue and Common Theological
Research
z Common Bible Work and Common Liturgical Texts
z Common studies on social and ethical questions
z Pastoral and Missionary Activity
z Ecumenical Cooperation in the Dialogue with other
Religions
z Ecumenical Cooperation in Social and Cultural Life
z Collaboration in doing social service programmes
z Networking for the promotion of human rights, justice,
peace and integrity of creation
z Joint struggles against the common problems faced
by the Christian Community
z Formation of ecumenical associations, fellowships,
organisations and institutions
6. Collective Struggles
The promotion of ecumenical movement and the growth in

unity of the Churches can be better facilitated through working
together on the issues affecting the Christian Community and
the common service rendered to the poor. Collective struggles
waged together for the justice and human rights give common
witness and credible demonstration of the unity of Christians. A
clear example of this is seen in the movement for the equal
rights of the Dalit Christians and Dalit Muslims who are denied
the Scheduled Caste (SC) status. The Coordination Committee
of the CBCI - NCCI and the National Council of Dalit Christians
(NCDC) in New Delhi, the Andhra Pradesh Federation of
Churches (APFC) and United Front for Dalit Christian Rights
(UFDCR) in Hyderabad, and other such ecumenical networks
in other states are spreading the movement. These are good
122
examples of advancing in unity through common service and

collective struggles for justice.28
To illustrate this, let us take one such ecumenical network

in which the present author is serving as the executive
secretary: The Andhra Pradesh Federation of Churches
(APFC)29 is a state-level apex body and an umbrella organization
of the major Churches and Ecclesial Communities of various
Christian Denominations represented by the Bishops / Heads
of Churches in A.P. It is an ecumenical fellowship of the
Churches and Dioceses of the Catholic, CSI, Baptist, Lutheran,
Methodist, Mennonite, Salvation Army, Seventh Day Adventist,
Assemblies of God, Pentecostal / Evangelical Churches and
other Christian Denominations. Thirty one Dioceses / Churches
belonging to 14 major Christian Denominations are the members
of the APFC at the State level. At the District level, many pastors
of “the Independent Churches” also join the APFC District Action
Committees and implement its programmes for the development
and empowerment of the Christian Community.
The APFC started functioning from the year 2005 and came
to be registered as a Society in 2008 under the A.P. Registration
of Societies Act. The main aim and object of APFC is to
represent the Christian Minority of the State before the
Government, other Authorities and the general public, and to
promote the over all development of the Christian Community
by achieving progress in the social, economic, political,
educational, cultural and religious fields. It strives to promote
the services of the Churches in nation-building especially by
catering to the marginalized sections of the society.
The important areas of activities of the APFC in the last

five years are: protesting against the killings of the pastors and
attacks on Christians in A.P. and other States like Orissa and
Karnataka; efforts to extend the SC status to the Dalit Christians;
123
attempts in resolving the problems of the Church-run educational

institutions; lobbying with government on the rights of Christian
Minority and freedom of religion; advocacy with the political
parties on political empowerment of Christian Community;
collaboration in ecumenical and interfaith programmes; and
networking with social organisations. Some of the
accomplishments of the APFC are: making the then Chief
Minister of A.P., Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, write to the Prime
Minister and lead a delegation to the Central Ministers on the
issue of SC status to the Dalit Christians, getting the A.P. State
Assembly to pass a resolution to extent the SC status to the
Dalit Christians and Dalit Muslims.
Other successful initiatives of the APFC include: getting

the CID investigation ordered into all the atrocities on Christians
in A.P.; stopping of the take over of the Church properties by
the government board through enactment of a legislation;
obtaining subsidy for the pilgrimage to the Holy Land from the
Government; getting the Government Orders issued to identify
and assign lands for the Christian cemeteries; attaining a
separate wing for Christian Minority in the Minorities Welfare
Department; and achieving a special government agency, the
A.P. State Christian (Minority) Finance Corporation, for the
development of the Christian Community.
The APFC has achieved but a little while much remains

left undone. However, the coming together of the Churches,
anywhere for that matter, is an attainment, their staying together
is an achievement, and their struggling collectively is progress
in ecumenical unity.
Conclusion
In his Apostolic Letter Beginning the New Millennium, Pope
John Paul II presenting the pastoral plan for the Church in the
124
Third Millennium wrote, “And what should we say of the urgent

task of fostering communion in the delicate area of ecumenism?
Unhappily, as we cross the threshold of the new millennium,
we take with us the sad heritage of the past. The Jubilee has
offered some truly moving and prophetic signs, but there is still
a long way to go.”30 Following his example and counsel, trusting
in the Lord, we must “put out into the deep (duc in altum)” by
diligently committing to the ecumenical duty and courageously
taking innovative ecumenical steps inspired by the Holy Spirit.
In our country, where there is a mushrooming of Christian
and other religious sects, we have a greater responsibility
to promote ecumenism not for the sake of power and control
but for reconciliation and communion, and for realizing the
fullness of life of all, staring with the liberation of the
Marginalised. Our collective struggles with the Marginalised
for justice can lead to ecumenical unity. To conclude with
who the words of Pope Benedict XVI who stressed this in
an ecumenical gathering:
Dear friends, let us strengthen one another in this faith!

This is a great ecumenical task which leads us into the
heart of Jesus’ prayer… The seriousness of our faith in
God is shown by the way we live His word. In our own
day, it is shown in a very practical way by our commitment
to man... as Jesus taught us in the account of the Final
Judgement: God will judge us on how we respond to our
neighbour, to the least of his brethren. Readiness to help,
amid the needs of the present time and beyond our
immediate circle, is an essential task of the Christian…
Finally, it is true beyond all frontiers: today Christian love
of neighbour also calls for commitment to justice throughout
the world.” 31
125
Notes
* Original version of this article was published as, “Ecumenical
Formation of Priests”, in Vidyajyoti Journal of Theological Refection,
Volume 74, No. 1, Jan. 2010, pp. 34 – 40.
1. Vatican Council II, Decree on Ecumenism (Unitatis Redintegratio),
Vatican, 1964, no. 5.
2. Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, Directory for the
Application of Principles and Norms on Ecumenism, Vatican City,
1993, no: 1, p.11. (Henceforth, Directory)
3. Pope John Paul II, Encyclical Letter on Commitment to
Ecumenism (Ut Unum Sint), Vatican, Vatican Press, 1995, no,
99, p.115.
4. Pope Benedict XVI, Address to the General Audience in Vatican
on Jan. 18, 2012, Vatican Information Service, VIS 20120126
(750).
5. Ibid.
6. Ibid., (emphasis mine).
7. Pontifical Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, Pastoral
Guide for the Diocesan Priests, Vatican, 1989, no: 17.
8. Pope John Paul II, Apostolic Exhortation Ecclesia in Asia (1999),
Mumbai, Pauline Publications, 2003, no.30, p.91.
9. Pope John Paul II, Apostolic Exhortation Pastores Dabo Vobis,
Vatican, no.60.
10. Ibid.
11. Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, The Ecumenical
Dimension in the Formation of those Engaged in Pastoral Work,
Vatican, 1997, no.2. (Henceforth, The Ecumenical Dimension)
12. Directory, no.58.
13. The Ecumenical Dimension, no.7.
14. Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI), Charter of Priestly
Formation for India, New Delhi, CBCI Centre, (1988), 2004, p.18.
16. Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, The Ecumenical
Dimension in the Formation of those Engaged in Pastoral Work,
Vatican, 1997
126
17. Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, Directory for the
Application of Principles and Norms on Ecumenism, Vatican City,
1993.
19. See Unitatis Redintegratio, no.7; and Ut Unum Sint, no.88.
20. See Incarnationis Mysterium, no.11; and Novo Millennio Inuente,
no.6.
21. Pope John Paul II, Encyclical Letter on Commitment to
Ecumenism (Ut Unum Sint), Vatican, Vatican Press, 1995, no,
24, p. 30.
(720).
23. Pope Benedict XVI, at the Roman Basilica of St. Paul’s Outside-
the-Walls, on Jan. 25, 2012, Vatican Information Service, VIS
20120126 (750).
(630).
27. See Unitatis Redintegratio, no.12; Pontifical Council for Promoting
Christian Unity, Directory for the Application of Principles and
Norms on Ecumenism, Part V, Vatican City, 1993, pp.77-100.
28. See CBCI Commission for SC/ST/BC, Let Justice be done to all
Dalits, New Delhi, 2010; and Bosco SJ et al, Constitutional Rights
of Dalit Christians and Muslims, Chennai, LTD Media, 2010.
29. See Andhra Pradesh Federation of Churches (APFC), APFC
Annual Issue 2006, Hyderabad, Jeevan Prints, 2006.
30. Novo Millennio Inuente, no.48.
31. Pope Benedict XVI, Homily during the ecumenical celebration
held at the church of Augustinian convent in Erfurt on Sept. 23,
2011, (emphasis mine).
127
THE PROMOTION OF THE PEOPLE’S THEOLOGY
Introduction: Theology by the People?
“Desam ante matti kadoi, desam ante manushuloi” – “A

Country is not its soil, a country is its people.” These famous
words of the Telugu reformer-poet of Andhra Pradesh,
Gurujada Apparao, remind us of the importance of people,
more than anything else, even the land of a nation-State.
This is also true of everything we have or do, including
Theology. The “People’s Theology” has brought this focus
of the people back to Theology. “Theo-logy”, the science
about God, also must focus on the main concern of God
which is His people, their well being and liberation from all
bondages and adharma. Hence, the people, and their struggle
for freedom from all evils and search for fullness of life ought
to be central also to Theology.
By the term “ People’s Theology” we mean the group of

theologies that have arisen from the Marginalised, the dominated
victimised subaltern groups, in their struggle for justice through
people’s movements1. It is the liberation theology of the dominated
groups of people from various parts of India. Thus, the People’s
Theology includes the Indian Liberation Theology2, Dalit Theology3,
Adivasi / Tribal Theology, Feminist / Women Theology, Eco-
Theology, Fisherpeople’s Theology, etc4. Hence, the People’s
Theology is pluralistic and dialogical, and broadly secular and
ecumenical embracing diverse religious and cultural traditions. the
People’s Theology is also provisional and always in process by
its nature, while it is liberational, contextual and socio-political in
its discourse. It is in different stages of emergence and growth
among diverse peoples groups and is always in flux.
128 Promotion of the People’s Theology
Unlike the academic theology that is developed by the

professional theologians and the doctrinal theology whose
proponents are the religious authorities, the subaltern people
and activists through the “organic intellectuals”5 articulate the
People’s Theology. It is neither concerned with the academic
and doctrinal matters nor with the purely religious affairs, rather
with the vital life issues of the people. In the People’s Theology,
the term “people” refers to the Marginalised, namely, the poor
and the powerless, the victims, and the dalitized groups, and
not to the elite, rich and dominant people. Notable among these
groups are the Dalits, Adivasis / Tribals, Women, Backward
Classes, Minorities, Children, Aged, Workers, Agricultural
Labourers, Disabled and Diseased.
Thus, the People’s Theology consists in the reflection of

the oppressed dominated Marginalised over their life concerns
and liberative struggles. It deals with what the people consider
to be important, essential, ultimate, sacred and divine in their
lives, including the values of love, justice and peace that they
live by, and the fullness of life and liberty they hope for. The
People’s Theology is the articulation of the reflections over the
subaltern people’s experience (anubava) of pathos and praxis
in the light of their faith and values.
This article* attempts to explore the articulation and

consolidation of the People’s Theology in India, and its potential
for growth for the purpose of promoting it. With the intention of
illustrating with a concrete example, the State of Andhra
Pradesh (A.P.), the location of the author, is taken for more
focused analysis. However, what is stated here about A.P. can
be applied to other States to some extent as there are many
similarities among them although each State in India has its
own cultural and socio-economic specificities.
129
The context and culture, which are the locus and the soil
on which the People’s Theology takes its roots, is briefly
presented in the next part of the article. It lays stress on the
suffering (dhukka) and pathos (vedana), and the struggle
(satyagraha) and praxis (dharma porattam) of the
Marginalised which are the seed beds of the People’s
Theology. This part also contains the analysis and the critique
of the People’s Theology. The third part takes up the
discussion on the present state of the People’s Theology
and its bright prospects for growth. The Church’s role in
facilitating the progress of the People’s Theology is the focus
of the last part of the article.
1.0. The Context and Culture –

Locus of the People’s Theology
The following critical analysis of the context and culture of

the vast State of Andhra Pradesh (A.P.) is not merely the
presentation of its Sociology. Rather it forms part and parcel of
the People’s Theology wherein the integral analysis of a situation
and its critique forms an essential part of its method and content.
The analytical and critical dimensions of the People’s Theology
describe and scrutinize all the aspects, areas and systems
including the social, economic, political, cultural, religious and
psychological. It is not a mere functional analysis but a critical,
dialectical, interdisciplinary, interactional and integral analysis. This
analysis and critique of the People’s Theology is not merely socio-
economic and political, rather it is also cultural, ethical and
theological.
The People’s Theology undertakes the analysis of the

context, in our case of the State of A.P., from the perspective of
the victims, namely the poor, the powerless, the voiceless, the
dalitized and dominated non-persons, in short the Marginalised.
Hence, it does not claim to be “neutral and unbiased”, which no

analysis, even the so-called “scientific” analysis, can claim to
be. As the Sociology of Knowledge and the Hermeneutical
Sciences have shown, every person functions with a pre-
understanding and pre-judice. Various aspects of the context
and culture of A.P., which are not very different from the other
parts of India, spelt out below appear in the dialogues, writings
and arts of people. The analysis and the critique of the context
and culture may appear to some as only sociological and
journalistic but they form basic part of the People’s Theology.
Because, the analysis and critique of the People’s Theology
are done using the value-criteria of justice, equality and freedom
from the stand point of the Marginalised.
1.1. Enriching Pluralism
The State of Andhra Pradesh (A.P.) is the fourth largest

State with an area of 2, 75, 045 sq. km, accounting for about
08.40 % of India’s territory. As per 2011 Census data, the Density
of A.P. is 308 per sq. km. which is lower than national average
of 382 per sq. km. Its total population is 84,665,533 of which
males are 42,509,881 and females 42,155,652. The rate of
population growth of A.P. in the decade is 11.10 per cent while
in previous decade it was 13.86 per cent. Presently, the
population of Andhra Pradesh forms 7.00 percent of India.The
State has the second longest coastline (974 km) among all the
States in India. The population of A.P. lives in about 27,000
villages and 270 towns of 23 districts. Only around 27% of it is
urban population. One can sense that A.P. is bigger in population
than many big countries of other continents.
Andhra Pradesh is endowed with a variety of physiographic

features ranging from high hills, undulating plains to a coastal
deltaic environment with bountiful natural resources. Having
131
endowed with fertile land, water and appropriate agro-climatic

conditions, it is an agriculturally prosperous State. A.P. is
predominantly an agricultural State where about 70% of its
population’s livelihood depends on agriculture and allied
occupations. The State has a rich and diverse forest area having
wide and varied vegetation types enriched by a variety of flora
and fauna. Andhra Pradesh, located strategically in the central
region of the Indian sub-continent, has a large part of the generic
Indian floral and faunal representation. The State has a large
river system which supplements the rainfall. However, the State
often witnesses natural calamities of both severe drought and
the worst floods due to cyclonic storms.
The sex ratio in the State, as per the Census 2011, has
increased again and stood at 992 as against 940 for all India,
while in 2001, the sex ratio of female was 978 per 1000 males in
Andhra Pradesh. But, the literacy rate of the State is 67.77% in
2011 which is lower than that of all India literacy rate of 74.04%
of that, male literacy stands at 75.56 percent while female literacy
at 59.74 percent. In actual numbers, total literates in Andhra
Pradesh stands at 51,438,510 of which males are 28,759,782
and females 22,678,728.
Close to 85% of the people of A.P. speak Telugu as their

mother tongue, while about 15% speak Urdu, Adivasi and other
Indian languages.6 Telugu, the official language of Andhra
Pradesh, is described by C. P. Brown, a British government
officer who compiled Telugu dictionary, as the “Italian of the
East” because of its musical quality. The finest of hymns and
songs of Carnatic music (ragas) are composed in Telugu by
the saint-lyricists like Thyagaraja Swami. Its location, more to
the centre of India, makes A.P. a bridge between North and
South India, and between the Dravidian and Sanskritic languages
and cultures. Telugu is enriched by the words drawn from both
the language sources though most of it are Dravidian making it

a member of the Dravidian family.
The State of A.P. is a colourful mosaic of many languages,

cultures, religions, regions, and people groups. Among the caste
groups, about 16.19% are the Dalits, legally known as Scheduled
Castes (SCs), 6.59% the Adivasis, legally known as Scheduled
Tribes (STs), and over 40% are other Backward Classes (BCs).
Thus, it is home for many Marginalised peoples’ groups of
various castes and tribes. Similarly, pluralism exists also in
the religious traditions of A.P. The population of Hindus
constitutes 88.30%, Muslims 09.16%, Christians 01.70% and
others follow Buddhism, Jainism, etc. Apart from these, some
peoples’ groups also claim to have their own particular
subaltern religious traditions7 like the Dalit Bahujan religious
traditions, Adivasi Primal religious traditions, the so called
“little traditions (desi)” of village gods, and the folk religions.8
It can not be forgotten that in the past Buddhism was wide
spread in all the parts of the State, which had also hosted
the world-renowned Buddhist university famous for
Nagarjuna. The basic religious ethos of the Telugu people still
remains Buddhist to some extent.9
Historically, the Andhra people are known to exist from

the ancient time of the Vedas itself10. In different parts of Andhra
desam or Telugu country (Telugunadu) many powerful kingdom
prevailed establishing their dynastic rule lasting a few
centuries11. Some parts of coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema
were also under the British colonial rule. Since 1956, the Vishal
Andhra, the unified State of A.P., is comprised of the three
regions, that have their own specific geographical, cultural,
historical and political background: Coastal Andhra region,
Rayalaseema and Telengana. All three regions are not equally
developed; some parts of Rayalaseema and Telengana are very
133
backward compared to others12. This is one of the causes for

the demand and movement for seperate States.
The people of A.P., in general, are known to be pluralistic,

open minded, tolerant and hospitable. They mix with others
easily and welcome others into their midst. They shun
fundamentalism of all kinds and are not fanatic about their religion
or language although they are religious minded. Though
communal disturbances erupt at times in Hyderabad, which is
the capital city of A.P., and in few other towns, communalism is
neither systematic nor wide spread in A.P. The people of A.P.
in common are pluralistic in their worldview and enjoy a broad
outlook. They are said to be assertive, forthright and outspoken
to the point being blunt and crude. Seen in this trait is their attitude
of standing for the truth and justice and supporting the same
honestly and boldly.
1.2. Domination of the Powerful
Social status, clan and family lineage, and caste and gender
prestige and privileges are important to the people of A.P. Honour
and respect of the individual, family, community and caste are
valued by people. They cannot tolerate dishonour, shame, insult
and disrespect. This is one of the reasons for increasing suicides
in the State, besides poverty, indebtedness and family
misunderstandings. The patronage practice of feudal system is
still prevalent in A.P. with divisions in many a village community,
resulting in groupism and factionalism, and, at times, leading to
feuds and violent clashes with political overtones. Mostly, the land
owning and neo-industrial class of the upper caste Reddy and
Kamma groups dominates party politics in the State. Corruption,
communalism, casteism and criminilisation mark politics and
governance in A.P., as is the case with whole of India. On the
whole, inequality and injustice is the order of the day.
Caste and gender discriminations do not seem to decline,

on the contrary newer forms of discrimination are added to the
persisting old ones. The casteist practices of untouchability and
exclusion such as non-entry into temples, common ponds and
village roads, and the “two glass-system” are still insisted
upon13. The attempts to bring about social change, and the self-
assertion of Dalits result in resistance and retaliation, and even
social boycott in some places14. The atrocities and violent
attacks on the Dalit communities are on the increase15. These
keep growing not only due to the deep-rooted dominant casteist
and patriarchal attitudes among the powerful, also because of
the political clout of the dominant caste groups in the State and
the Central rule where they are in alliance16. From 1995 onwards,
on an average about 2000 criminal attacks per year are let
leashed on the Dalits in A.P. Under the SC, ST (Prevention of
Atrocities) Act and the Civil Rights (Prevention of Untouchability
and Discrimination) Protection act closely to 10,000 cases are
being registered in A.P. every year17.
The domination of the powerful is gradually assuming the

fascist form in the country and the State. The Sangh Parivar
with its Hindutva ideology of establishing a Hindu Rastra, with
Hindu culture, Hindu religion, Hindi / Sanskritic language and
Hindu Social Order of caste and patriarchal system, is
consistently and systematically promoting them. Hinduisation
and saffronisation of every government department, political
institution, educational and cultural system, and social
organizations is being enforced. The review of the Constitution
of India was attempted by them with the intention of ensuring
power for themselves through “political stability” and to bring
back the domination of Brahminic forces by relegating the Dalits,
Adivasis, Minorities and Women to their “proper place”. It is to
keep them as the second class citizens, to consolidate their
Hindu vote bank, and to preserve the privileges of Hindu Social
135
Order that they keep attacking the Minorities, specially at the

present juncture, the Christians.
In India as a whole, especially in A.P., the traditional Indian

feudalist caste system and modern western colonialist capitalism
have happily married and given birth to various harsh forms of
oppression of the weaker sections in the society. One needs to
keep in mind that both these systems are economic systems
with inherent cultural systems promoting a particular value
system based on inequality, domination, exclusion, exploitation
and materialism. In the name of development, thousands of Dalits
and Adivasis have been displaced and deprived of the little they
owned. The materialist and consumerist values inculcated by
Capitalism have added to the exploitations of the Mother Earth
and the women. The increasing violent rapes, dowry harassment
and deaths, female feticide and infanticide, the sale of female
babies for adoption and girls for prostitution, and the media
exploitation of women are all outcome of this.18
Growth with social justice, which was the goal of all the
Five-Year Plans and Community Development Programmes,
is yet to be achieved in India after sixty-four years of
Independence. These and other government schemes such as
the Integrated Rural Development Programmes and Women
and Child Welfare / Empowerment Programmes have ultimately
benefited the well-to-do politically influential groups and the civil
servants. The same seems to be the fate of many of the socio-
economic schemes undertaken directly by the Government often
bypassing the Constitutional set-up of Panchayati Raj system
meant for the decentralization of power. Land reforms have not
been taken up with needed political will and sincerity. Necessary
budget allocations for food, education, health, and employment
generation have never been done, nor the allocated funds ever
utilized properly and fully.
In the name of development, thousands of Dalits and

Adivasis have been displaced and deprived of the little they
owned. Close to 40 Special Economic Zones (SEZs), highest
number in the whole country for a State, were set up by the
Government of A.P. by allotting nearly 80,000 acres of land to
the Multinational Companies doling out many subsidies to them.
The lands of the Marginalised, including their livelihood sources
such forests, lakes and hills, were forcefully acquired leading
to protests in which some of them lost their lives.
The State seems to be more interested in implementing

the economic reforms prompted by the World Bank and the
neocolonialist agenda of Liberalization, Privatization and
Globalization (LPG). No wonder the gap between the poor and
the rich keeps increasing, and the absolute number of the poor
is growing, even though the percentage of those below the
poverty line (BPL) may be declining slowly to some extent19.
This is the conclusion of the UN Andhra Pradesh Human
Development Report 2007 which clearly points out that “the
inclusive development” is yet to take place in the State though
much economic progress is recorded.
1.3. Poverty amidst Plenty
Blessed with great rivers of Godavari and Krishna, and

other smaller ones, A.P. serves as the rice bowl of India and
takes the pride of place in the cultivation of tobacco, cotton,
groundnut and chilli crops. Over 10 million tons of rice and
another 5 million tons of other food grains are grown in A.P.
every year. In spite of its rich natural resources and rich produce,
majority of the people of A.P. remains malnourished or
undernourished. Hunger keeps its tormenting company with
about 40% of the poor. While the Food Corporation of India store
houses and the godowns of the millers over flow with rice, the
137
poor around them die of hunger, starvation and malnutrition20.

Though A.P. is acclaimed as the “Happening State”, it is also known
for the starvation deaths and the suicides of frustrated marginal
farmers and helpless weavers in hundreds. These so-called
starvation deaths and suicides are in fact slow murders by the
heartless Government machinery21 that allows deprivation and
injustice to persist.
As the A.P. State credits itself to be one of the attractive

destinations for the foreign direct investment for industry,
unemployment is on the increase. The lack of job opportunities
is worsened by the policy of retrenchment, voluntary retirement
and non-recruitment by the Government in line with its vehement
promotion of globalization and privatization. The Government
of A.P. also tops in imposing taxes and tariffs on the already
burdened people following the dictates of the World Bank for
structural reforms that benefit more the multinational companies.
The lifting of the Quantitative Restrictions (QRs) now in place
through the conditions laid by the World Trade Organisation
(WTO) has tightened the noose around the necks of the farmers,
weavers and the small entrepreneurs and producers.22
The economy of Andhra Pradesh since its formation in

1956, progressed rather slowly. The average annual growth of
the economy of the Andhra Pradesh till the beginning of 80s
was only little over 3%. The economy of the State slowly started
progressing to a higher growth trajectory after 80s. Despite the
implementation of welfare programmes for the economically
backward communities, majority among the Dalits and Adivasis
still remain poor since these schemes only reach a few of them.
They bring only temporary relief but do not uplift them
economically and make them self-supporting.
As per the official estimates of the population Below

Poverty Line (BPL) released by the Planning Commission in

March 2012, poverty ratios of rural areas and urban areas of
A.P. for 2009-10 were 22.8% and 17.7% respectively and that
for the State as a whole was 21.1%. The corresponding figures
for All India during the same period were, 33.8% for rural and
20.9% for urban areas and 29.8% for the Nation as a whole.
However, it is to be kept in mind that these figures are calculated
with minimum survival rates while the poor in India would be
above 40% in relation to the basic needs. In spite of its
considerable agricultural produce, about 400 millions are still
malnourished or undernourished in India.
While the State of A.P. is being applauded by the World

Bank as the best State in promoting liberalization of trade and
economic reforms, the liberal trade of human trafficking in the
forms of the sale of babies for adaptation, women for prostitution,
children for bonded labour, brides for dowry, and human kidneys
for transplantation, is rapidly growing.23 As the Government of
A.P. boasts of being the leader in High-Tech Information
Technology and Knowledge Society, about 40% of its population
is still illiterate and nearly half of its schools lack basic amenities
such as black boards, proper class rooms and toilets. Majority
of its villages and hamlets lack drinking water, sanitary facilities
and primary health care centres. Many other firsts that A.P.
holds in India (may be also in the world in some of these cases)
reveal the oppressive dominant situation present there: A.P.
occupies close to first place in corruption, crime rate,
promiscuity, immorality and liquor consumption; it ranks first in
child labour24 and bonded labour; it holds near first place in HIV-
AIDS, TB and Leprosy; it occupies first place in the human
trafficking, especially of children and women, and human organs
as well25. does not lack behind other States in near starvation
and under-nutrition of about half of the mothers and children.
139
1.4. People’s Movements
The struggle for survival and protest against injustice is a

common way of life in A.P. The people of A.P. in general do not
take things lying down. They do not tolerate discrimination and
insults. In subtle or open forms, they express their dissatisfaction
and dissent. They are conscious of people’s power (praja sakthi
/ jana bhalam) and unleash it to fight for their rights and to set
right injustices done to them. This is why A.P. has been the
cradle of many people’s movements. During the Independence
struggle, A.P. witnessed many anti-colonial movements such
as the Srikakulam movement headed by Alluri Sita Ramaraju,
protest movements by the farmers of central A.P. in the form of
refusal to pay taxes, and in the Telengana movement26. Again
the Telengana movement is being waged vehemently led by
the political parties and joint action committees for carving out a
separate State for the region.
The State of A.P. is more known for the Maoist Naxalite

movement led by the People’s War Group and other groups.
Party based and non-party based movements and pressure
groups such as the women movements, youth and student
movements, peasant movements, agricultural labour
movements, trade union movement, Dalit movements,27 are
active in A.P. fighting for the rights of their members. Many Civil
Society Organisations, and human rights groups such as the
Andhra Pradesh Civil Liberties Committee (APCLC), Human
Rights Forum (HRF), PUCL, Dalit rights groups, women rights
groups,28 child rights groups, environment rights groups, and
housing rights groups are constantly vigilant about the violation
of people’s rights and take up the cause of victims.29 Some
committed Non-Governmental Organisations and their
collectives also conscientise the Dalits, Adivasis and Women
of their basic rights and sensitise the public on human rights
violations.
Women’s movement in A.P. gained national acclaim

during its struggle against the powerful forces in the anti-
arrack movement in the beginning of 1990s 30 . After the
successful protest of the Madiga Dandora movement against
the denial of equal opportunities in the Constitutional
reservations given to the Scheduled Castes, many other
people’s groups of Dalits, Adivasis and Backward Classes-
Castes have formed their own struggle committees for
equality, dignity, identity and liberation31.
The A.P. unit of National Alliance of People’s Movements,

the networks of various trade unions, the joint action groups of
diverse employee associations and the united committees of
agricultural labour and farmers groups, are presently engaged
in the struggle against globalisation. They resist the neo-colonial
attacks of the multinationals and the imperialism of the powerful
countries through the World Bank, International Monetary Fund
and World Trade Organisation. The struggle against globalisation
has been launched to protest also against the withdrawal of the
State from its Constitutional duty of the welfare of the weak and
of bringing about social justice32.
As the new anti-labour, anti-farmer and anti-poor economic

policies are imposed on the people and implemented by the
A.P. Government leading to price rise and other financial
burdens, the dissent and the protest of the people are on the
increase. Both the Dalit Bahujans and the middle classes-castes,
the labourers and the farmers, the employed and the
unemployed, men and women, are jointly in confrontation with
the powerful and the Government that favours them. While the
promises of the politicians and the assurances of the rulers are
turning out to be utter lies and falsehood, the fight for justice
(dharma porattam) and struggle for truth (satyagraha) is growing
among the Marginalised.
141
Added to economic deprivation and exploitation, social

discrimination of the Dalits and Adivasis in terms of caste and
of the Women in terms of gender, also continues. Even though
some of the members of the Backward Class / Castes and
Women are represented in the civil bodies at the village and
district levels due to political reservation, the rich upper castes
who are minority still dominate them as elected members of the
legislative bodies. Basically the unjust feudal, casteist and
patriarchal structure still remains unshaken in the local situation
although according to the Constitution India is a socialist, secular,
and democratic republic. Hence, the protest against injustice
and corruption goes on amidst persisting poverty, deprivation
and discrimination.
2.0. Developing People’s Theology

2.1. The Sources
The variegated context of India with its plurality of climes,
cultures, languages, regions, religions, people groups and their
history and traditions, is a fine source of the People’s Theology.
The People’s Theology arises out of the rich plurality of people’s
culture and religiosity, and the situation of inequality and injustice
marked by domination of the powerful and forced systemic
poverty as described above. People’s day to day struggles for
survival, their combats for justice and dignity, and various
people’s movements for equality and human rights are the fertile
soil on which the People’s Theology grows. These have given
rise to enormous amount of people’s literature, like that of the
Viplava Rachaithulu – the radical writers.33 Dalitha Sahithyam -
Dalit Literature 34, and Streevadam - Feminism / Women
Literature35 that express their anguish, anger and aspirations.
All these embody the People’ Theology.
Besides these, the traditional folklore and folk culture,

people’s tunes and folk songs – janapadam36, people’s wisdom

found in their proverbs and stories, popular religions and folk
rituals37, and people’s arts and dances like the burrakathalu and
street theatre, etc.,38 contain the People’s Theology in seminal
form. The People’s Theology is the core, the central part, of
people’s literature and arts, which are its valuable sources along
with people’s struggles and movements.
2.2. The Roots
The roots of people’s struggles go back to the protests of

the people in the ancient, middle and modern periods of their
history. Anti-Brahminic and anti-caste movements by the
Sudras and the Marginalised have always been there in one
form or another. Dissent and protests were specially
embedded in the Buddhist and other Nastika movements that
were wide spread in India.39 The Kingdom of God Movement
of Jesus Christ also belongs to this Asian tradition of dissent
and protest movement that ushered in the cultural revolution in
the society of the time40.
In the middle ages, struggles of the Mariginalised against

inequality and injustice took the form of religious reform
movements represented by the people’s prophetic-poet like
Vemana41 or the Bhakti movements like the ones led by saint-
lyricist Annamayya and Veerabrahmam.42 Such struggles, and
the arts and poetry they gave rise to, are the historical roots of
the People’s Theology. Those who wish to articulate People’s
Theology need to study them deeply and bring to the fore their
egalitarian ideals, their maxims of sila, jnana, karuna and maitri,
and their profound spirituality based on justice, equality and
solidarity.
In the modern times, the social reformer-litterateurs like

Kurajada Apparao43 and Kandukuri Viresalingam44 and the Dalit
143
movement pioneers in A.P. like Bagya Reddy Verma have

bequeathed many treasures in their action and reflection that
can to contribute to the People’s Theology45. The revolutionary
poetry of Sri Sri and Gurram Josuva are rich mines of the
People’s Theology.46
2.3. People’s Hermeneutics
Many Dalit Bahujan groups are seriously working at

articulating their culture, religious traditions and customs
distinguishing them from Hinduism. Remarkable in this effort is
the work of Kancha Illaiah who in his controversial book, Why I
am not a Hindu, brings out the unique Dalit Bahujan culture,
religiosity and value-system as contrasted from the Brahminic
Hinduism which has coopted and absorbed it to a large extent.
They claim an identity of their own with their own history which
is being rewritten from the Dalit Bahujan perspective. The poetry
and literature produced by other Dalit poets, like Katti Padmarao,
and the songs and ballets of balladeers, like Gaddar, too
reinterpret the history and literature from the subaltern
perspective.
Similarly, women groups are engaged in rediscovering the

religio-cultural history and traditions that honour women and
highlight their achievements. “His-story” is being rewritten to
include “her-story” too. Many myths, stories and proverbs and
saying that are prejudiced against women are being re-
interpreted. This process of People’s Hermeneutics is part of
the methodology of People’s Theology. It unfolds the Dalit
Bahujan philosophy,47 the subaltern value-system and the
alternative counter-culture48 that enrich the People’s Theology.
The religious protest traditions and movements are reinterpreted
as the liberation struggles of the Marginalised of the time. Thus,
the initiators of these religious subaltern movements like Gautama
Buddha49, Jesus Christ50, and Prophet Mohammed51 are re-

presented as the liberators of the humankind.
2.4. Methodology of the People’s Theology
The People’s Theology is the articulation of people’s

reflection of their spirituality and value system in their praxis for
liberation and life enhancement. The People’s Theology is
neither solely an academic subject nor a purely a religious affair.
As mentioned in the introduction, it is a secular and ecumenical
enterprise where people struggle against the evil forces and
the evil systems of the society. Hence, the People’s Theology
begins with the commitment of people for justice and their
struggle for liberation. Their experience of suffering (dhukka)
and pathos (vedana), and their struggle and praxis (dharma
prottam) is the basic foundation in the formation of the People’s
Theology. The People’s liberative spirituality is their method of
theologizing.52
Methodologically, the People’s Theology takes root in the

experience (anubava) of humiliation, distress, discrimination and
deprivation caused by injustice and inequality. It grows in the
mire and murky waters of dehumanizing situation both for the
dominated-oppressed, who are reduced to the subhuman level,
and the dominant-oppressors, who reduce themselves to the
inhuman level. The People’s Theology blooms in blood; for, the
spiritual combats for justice and the struggle for satyagraha,
spill not only sweat also the blood of the people and the activist-
prophets (amara virulu). The blood drops of the martyrs are the
seeds of the people’s movement and the People’s Theology.
The People’s Theology that begins with the experience of

pathos and praxis of people, gets articulated in the process of
reflection by the members and the organic intellectuals of the
145
people’s movements. This reflection process is done through

group discussions in dialogue with each other. Every people’s
movement has its ideology that contains its vision, goals and
objectives, value-system, strategy and plan of action,
organizational structure, methods of communication, etc.
Ideology of a people’s movement also contains its People’s
Theology. Here, “Theology” is understood not only as the
reflection on the relationship with God, but also as the reflection
on whatever people consider to be divine and sacred in their
lives specially the insights on the values they live by and live
for. Thus, the theologizing process and the method of the
People’s Theology is experiential, contextual, dialogical and
ecumenical53.
The methodic process of reflection in the People’s Theology

is not only praxic-experiential and dialogical, it is also analytical,
critical, hermeneutical and creative. The analytical dimension
in the People’s Theology stands for the integral and holistic
analysis of the context with its cultural situation and social
condition, as the analysis of the State of A.P. articulated by the
marginalised presented in the previous part of this essay. The
critical dimension of the People’s Theology refers to the stringent
critique let leashed by the people’s movements. Their criticism
is based on the assessment of various events, systems,
persons, groups, ideologies, etc., from the perspective of the
victims.
The criteria used in the critique of the People’s Theology

are based of the values of liberty, equality, justice and the
enhancement of life. The critique of the People’s Theology that
arises from various people’s movements is focused, as evident
from the second part above, mainly on casteism, Brahminism,
patriarchy, capitalism and its present forms of globalism,
neocolonialism and imperialism. The forces that progenitor the
processes of Hinduisation and globalisation, and the State,

political forces and the government mechanisms that betray
people constantly are subjected to people’s critique. The
following sections of this article also reveal as did the previous
ones, the analytical, critical, hermeneutical, dialogical and
creative dimensions of the method of the People’s Theology.
2.5. Major Perspectives and Themes
The People’s Theology, that emerged from various people’s

movements and reflection groups, contains some common vital
perspectives and themes, which are outlined below, although
each of the subaltern collectives which is in struggle has its
own points of emphasis:
Life and livelihood is the basic perspective and common

underlying theme of all the struggle groups. All their action and
reflection is a search for life enhancement and the fullness of
life, that is, for the basic needs that are to be satisfied, and the
fundamental human rights that are to be fulfilled, to live a life
fitting to the human dignity and status. Closely connected to
this vital perspective are themes like food security, means of
livelihood and sustenance, right to work and right to employment,
right to education and health for all, land to the tiller, housing
rights, etc. To protect, preserve and promote life in all its forms,
demand care for the Mother Earth, ecological and environmental
protection, etc. Materialism, consumerism, marketism, profit
above people, and mammon worship that are promoted by
capitalism and corporate globalization are under attack as these
dehumanize persons, both the rich and the poor, and destroy
the Nature.
Liberty is another basic perspective that entails freedom

from all bondages and liberation from the economic, social and
147
political oppression and from the psychological, cultural, and

religious shackles. Human rights, civil liberties, basic rights of
the citizen, Dalit human rights, women rights, workers/labour
rights, child rights, environmental rights, and minority rights are
some of the important themes that are discussed in and through
action and reflection on them. Every form of bondage and
violation of human rights such as the bonded labour, manual
scavenging, jogini / matangi system of bonded prostitution, child
labour, domestic labour, sale of babies and women, and the
state violation of civil rights are severely critiqued and
condemned. Liberation is sought from the sinful social
structures, evil systems and unethical inhuman institutions as
well as from the personal bondages of the wounded psyche,
selfishness, immoral habits and sinfulness.
Humanness (manavathvam), equality (samanathvam) and

human dignity are the main perspectives of Dalit, Adivasi and
women struggle groups. From their own cultural, ideological and
religious traditions they emphasize the themes related to this
perspective. They are mainly equity and equal opportunities
according to each one’s need, based on distributive justice,
and compensation for the deprivation and injustice of the past,
based on the retributory justice to be implemented in the form
of reservation and affirmative action. Many Dalit Bahujan
groups have also asserted delineated their specific identity,
particular history and roots and their rich cultural heritage54.
These groups and the women movements express strong
critique of every form of discrimination and any form of
hierarchy and inequality specially casteism and patriarchy.
Against the forces of Hindutva which in the name of cultural
nationalism are attempting homogeneity, the Dalit Bahujan
groups and the Minorities are stressing the themes of
pluralism, cultural identity, and rights of the Indigenous Peoples,
minority rights, and unity in diversity.55
Love and justice underlie all the perspectives and themes

of all the people’s movements and their action and reflection,
for, they are the core of the content and method of the People’s
Theology. People live and struggle, hope and aspire, in spite of
all the misery and distress because of the love they have for
their beloved children and other persons. This is the basis of
their work, daily hardships, resistance, resilience, protest
movements, and creative products. Behind every people’s
movement there is also the basic aspiration for justice, which is
also the fundamental perspective of the People’s Theology. As
one can discern from the above enumeration of the perspectives
and themes, they are basically the essential values of life. These
vital values are the basis of people’s spirituality and the People’s
Theology.
The vision of the just society is an important perspective

that is enunciated commonly in people’s arts and literature and
in the People’s Theology. The dream of a better humanity, a
socialistic, sustainable, participatory, just and egalitarian society
(sama samajam), a divine reign of righteousness, a classless-
casteless society, and of a just new world order is in the heart
one who struggles, and the one who tries to articulate the
People’s Theology in some form. The Marginalised are critical
of the projection of the golden age promised by the politcal
parties in their election manifestos.56 Various reasons are put
forward for their critique including the neglect of growth with
social justice, and withdrawal of the State from the welfare and
development of the poor and the weaker sections, which is its
Constitutional duty. The Government is accused of removing
subsidies and promoting privatization and commercialization of
health and educational systems bowing the wishes of the World
Bank. People are aspiring for a hunger free and disease free
situation. They are hoping for a loving and peaceful community
149
that is self-reliant and self-governing where self-dignity and

respect is accorded to all.57
The People’s Theology is pluralistic, ecumenical and

dialogical. The reason for this is the multi-religious context of
India where people of various religions are members of people’s
movements and struggles. They draw inspiration for their praxis
from different religious, cultural and ideological traditions.
Important among them are the Marxian, Maoist, Ambedkarian,
and Socialist ideologies, and Christian, Buddhist and the
Subaltern religious traditions. Thus, Christians as members of
these movements have also given their contribution to people’s
praxis and theology by reinterpreting their own and other
religious traditions during the struggles in dialogue with other
members.57 They are many Christian writers and poets, both
women and men, who are making significant contributions to
the People’s Theology especially in Dalit Theology and Feminist
/ Women Theology, which need to be consolidated.
3.0. Role of the Church in People’s Theology
3.1. A Local Church for Social Justice
The official institutional Church has not so far made much

contribution to the struggles of the people for justice and human
rights, and the People’s Theology, even though its contribution
in the relief and rehabilitation, and welfare and development
sectors is notable. In the educational and health services, the
contribution of the Christians is acknowledged by all as very
significant. Compared to their number, which amounts to only
about 2% of the population, their contribution in the welfare and
service sectors especially in education and health is close to
20%. But, since the People’s Theology, as we insisted above,
is born out of the struggles for justice, human rights, and dignity
and equality, the Church needs to get involved in them. Some

individual members of the Church are active in such struggles
on their own, in accordance with Christian inspiration and
following the Social Teaching of the Church. Otherwise, the
Church is not involved in justice struggles except in the case of
equal rights and SC status to the Dalit Christians. Even this
movement is in very low ebb now.
Unless and until the Church becomes truly a local Church,

and realizes that it is part of the local people and local society of
the local village, town, mandal, district, State and country, in
line with the spirit and maxims of the Second Vatican Council
Document, The Church in the Modern World, it cannot make a
lasting impact. To make this a reality, the pastors and
professional theologians need to identify with the local
community through their love, service, commitment and sacrifice
for the local people. If one is not concerned about the struggles
of the Marginalised and the oppressed, people and about their
basic needs and fundamental rights, she or he can never
become a real theologian. There is no other way for the Church
to become a truly local Church and to inculturate itself relevantly
than taking up, beyond charity and social service, the urgent
task of social change and social transformation. Breaking the
barriers that divide and exclude people from each other and the
bonds that bind them is the right way of conducting a meaningful
interreligious dialogue based on justice (dharma), a core value
taught by every religion.58
Mere goodwill is not enough; the Church needs to be

immersed / baptized in the context, culture, language, customs,
values, aspirations and struggles of the local subaltern
community. As A. Pieris, an Asian liberation theologian59
poignantly points out, this is the first baptism of water that one
under goes along with Jesus in the river Jordan. There is yet
151
another baptism that many try to evade, as did the Apostles

initially in the time of Jesus. It is the baptism of blood, an
immersion in the blood on the cross, similar to the one that Jesus
underwent at Calvary for the liberation of his people. It is the
cup that Jesus invited his disciples to drink to have a place in
the Kingdom of God. Only through the spirituality of simplicity,
solidarity, struggle, suffering and self-sacrifice with Jesus and
his victimized people, that one can hope to be a people’s
theologian / leader. Only through such basic experience of
pathos and praxis, the People’s Theology can be promoted.
3.2. Some Urgent Requirements
The following evangelical tasks by the Church are urgent

to be Jesus today in India, and to further the Kingdom of God,
that is, the Divine reign of righteousness. These requirements
can enable the Church to foster the People’s Theology, which
is the reflection on the struggle to establish the reign of
righteousness.
The Church may become truly people’s Church according

to the ecclesial model of “the People of God” put forth by the
Second Vatican Council. The authorities in the Church may give
up clergy domination and assume the servant-leadership and
function as animators, facilitators, coordinators and stewards.
The participatory structures mandated in the Canon Law, namely
the Parish, Diocesan and Regional Pastoral Councils and
Finance Committees may be established without further delay
to make the shared team leadership possible. For example, the
Catholic Church in A.P. in its Vision and Plan of Action 60 included
these to be set up soon. This comprehensive document includes
many other plans to make the Church vibrant, relevant,
participatory, self-reliant, people-oriented and Kingdom-centered.
The Catholic Bishops of A.P. have reiterated them also in their
Pastoral Letter 61. Many CBCI statements keep repeating them

to remind the Dioceses about the importance of realising a
participatory Church. It remains to be seen how much of these
documents would become a reality!
As Pope John Paul II urges the local Churches in the post-

synodal papal document, Ecclesia in Asia 62, and the post-
Jubilee 2000 document, Beginning the New Millennium,63 the
Church must become a real “communion of communities”. It
may earnestly take up the evangelical task of promoting
communion among all groups of people, particularly with / among
other Christian denominations, religions and ideologies. To
exercise effectively the mission of communion in the caste-
ridden society, the Church must become a model community
like that of the first Christian Community where members lived
united in love, solidarity, equality and fraternity. Beyond the
present efforts in building up the Small / Basic Christian
Communities, the Church needs to move forward to form the
Basic Human Communities that would include the poor of diverse
castes, religions and ideologies. More efforts need to be made
to build up communities than institutions, and to build up people’s
capacities than structural constructions.
Option for the poor and the solidarity with the powerless
and voiceless victims are the hallmarks of the Social Doctrine
of the Church, which was reiterated by the present Pope
Benedict XVI in his Encyclical Letter, Caritas in Veritate (2009).
Unfortunately, the Church has not found the effective ways of
making its principles, policies and programmes a reality. The
practice of the only commandment of Jesus to love and serve,
specially the deprived and victims of injustice, stops with
immediate relief and welfare measures, or goes to the extent of
temporary developmental projects. The fraternal love of the
Church does not become effective, relevant, powerful and
radical to attack the root causes of injustice and inequality. The
153
Church must strive harder to conscientize and organize the

poor, Dalits, Adivasis and Women, and to struggle and fight for
their human rights, justice and equality.
The Church may support the on-going struggles of the

subaltern groups for their rights. It may pledge openly its
solidarity to the people’s movements. Its ecumenical and
dialogue ministry may extent to the subaltern groups, ideologies
and movements that are working for justice and equality. Besides
joining hands with movements against casteism, patriarchy and
globalization, the Church may strengthen the efforts like the
National Campaign for Dalit Human Rights and other movements
for child rights, women rights, and minority rights. It may
collaborate with groups that are working to strengthen
secularism, pluralism and democracy in India.
It is necessary to take an open stand on the issues that

affect people. When people die of hunger around the overflowing
godowns of rice how can anyone just stand and watch? Is this
not murdering of the children of God? Is it a mere economic
issue or an ethical issue? Are there not many other issues like
this where moral and spiritual values are at stake? The Church,
like the prophets of old and Jesus Christ the Liberator, the Good
Shepherd, could take a stand, speak up and condemn when
injustice and oppression is let loose on people, even if it is by
the rulers and leaders who instead of shepherding the sheep
consume them for their embellishment.
3.3. A Few Practical Steps
The requirements described above are mainly concerning

the praxis of the Church. The People’s Theology can be
articulated only from a liberative praxis and folk culture of the
people. Committed action with an option for the poor and the
powerless is the first step in the methodological process of the

People’s Theology. The process of reflection and formulation
that accompanies and follows the pathic-praxic-experience also
requires certain special strategies, techniques, skills and
resources. Some of these, that need to be put in place are spelt
out below:
To enable the lay people to explicate the People’s Theology

in India, the Church can train them in various skills including the
literary and media skills as well as the theological skills. The
domination of male clergy and religious in Theology needs to be
reversed so that the voices of the lay people and women can
be heard in Theology. They may be also given sufficient
participation in the formation of priests and religious in teaching
and training them for ministry and administrative skills. For
example, the local theology of the A.P. Church and the contextual
People’s Theology cannot develop unless Telugu vernacular is
used in theological formation, discourse and writings. More
Telugu theological journals like the Nene Velugu and many
theological books in Telugu need to see the light of day.
As an essential part of promoting the People’s Theology,

the Church could foster subaltern people’s folk culture, people’s
art and subaltern philosophy. The Church has been accused of
inculturating into Sanskritic Brahminic culture neglecting the Dalit
Bahujan culture. It is necessary to preserve and protect the
fork art forms that are dying. Special efforts need to be taken by
the Church to encourage them in the society and to integrate
them into Church life and liturgy during celebrations and festivals.
Some of the popular devotions of the lay people are already
inculturated and expressed in the folk cultural forms64.
Research centers on the Dalit Bahujan Culture, Subaltern

Philosophy and People’s Theology, and the training centers in
155
these subjects and skills are to be established. Such centers

can involve in the work of consolidating the People’s Theology
by creating platforms for the people’s theologians to pool together
whatever has been already elucidated. Research seminars and
workshops need to be organized periodically in Liberation
Theology, Dalit Theology, Feminist Theology, Eco-Theology,
etc., to reflect and share the insights of the activist theologians
and organic individuals. Their art works and writings are to be
documented and published.
The Institutes and Faculties of Theology and the seminaries

and formation houses may integrate the People’s Theology as
one of the subjects of study. Apart from this, whole theology
and the total formation and training need to be done from the
perspective of the powerless victims. Local culture, context,
language and the social analysis may form important part of
teaching. The formation itself can become contextual and
relevant with interspersed exposure and immersion programmes
among the powerless and practical training within people’s
movements and struggle groups.
Conclusion
Manava sevae Madava seva - a Telugu proverb insists:
“to serve the people is to serve God.” The People’s Theology
brings out and enunciates such aspirations, attitudes and
egalitarian divine values found in the Marginalised as shown
above using the example of the location of A.P. “Wisdom of the
Weak”65 that springs from their struggles and reflections abound
in the Marginalised. To unfold and articulate the same, the
organic intellectuals and creative artistes of people’s movements
may listen to people more and more. For, as the old Latin proverb,
Vox Populi Vox Dei, affirms, “to listen to people is to listen to
God”. This is the reason why Pope John Paul II reminded the
persons in authority to earnestly listen to the people, specially
the young, in the new millennium. Such as these have a special

wisdom and inspiration, the Pope insisted quoting Saint Paulinus
of Nola: “Let us listen to what all the faithful say, because in
every one of them the Sprit of God breathes”66.
To respect and listen, to join and struggle in solidarity, and

to act and reflect with the victims is the only way to liberate the
Marginalised and bring fullness of life to the dalitized victims.
This also is the means to gather together people’s wisdom and
develope the People’s Theology. In India, the People’s Theology
remains to be acknowledged and accepted; and it awaits
affirmation, and consolidation through networking, joint reflection
and mutual dialogue and sharing. May it bloom and bear fruit to
bestow fullness of life and liberation for all.
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47. Illaiah, Kancha, Why I am not a Hindu, Calcutta, Samya, 1996;

and his Mana Thatvam (Dalitbahujan Philosophy), Hyderabad,
Hyderabad Book Trust, 2000.
48. Padma Rao, Katti, Caste and Alternative Culture, Ponnuru,

Lokayata Publications, 1995.
49. Ambedkar, B.R., The Buddha and His Dhamma, Mumbai,

Siddhartha Publications, 1991 (1957).
50. Desrochers, John, Christ the Liberator: India Search for

Development and Social Justice, Bangalore, CSA, 1977.
51. Engineer, Asghar Ali, Islam and Liberation Theology, Mumbai, IIS,
1990.
52. Rayan, Samuel, “The ‘How’ of Third World Theologies”, in Third

World Theologies in Dialogue, J. Russell Chandran, (ed.),
Bangalore, EATWOT, 1991, pp.44-66.
53. Thumma, Anthoniraj, Wisdom of Weak: Foundations of People’s

Theology, Delhi, ISPCK, 2000.
54. Padma Rao, Katti, Dalitula Charitra (Dalit History), Ponnuru,

Lokayata Publications, 1991; Webster, John C.B., The Dalit
Christians: A History, Delhi, ISPCK, 1994; Antony Raj, Y., Social
Impact of Conversion, Delhi, ISPCK, 2001; Maliekal, Jose D.,
“Identity Consciousness of the Christian Madigas - Story of a People
in Emergence”, Jeevadhara, 2001, pp.25-36.
55. Illaiah, Kancha, Mana Thatvam (Dalitbahujan Philosophy),

Hyderabad, Hyderabad Book Trust, 2000; Padma Rao, Katti, Caste
and Alternative Culture, Ponnuru, Lokayata Publications, 1995.
56. Dalit Bahujan Front (DBF), Dalita Bahujana Parivarthana (A Telugu

Monthly), Guntur.
57. Wilson, Kothapalli, The Twice Alienated: Culture of the Dalit

Christians, Hyderabad, Booklinks, 1982; Wilson, Kothapalli,
Dialectics of Consciousness, Problems of Development, Chennai,
Oneworld Educational Trust, 1993. Prabhakar, M.E., “Caste-Class
and Status in Andhra Churches and Implications for Mission, Today:
Some Reflections”, Religion and Society, 1981, 28, 3, pp.16;
Prabhakar, M.E., “Rural Telengana: Socio-economic Situations,
with Particular Reference to the CSI Karimnagar Diocesan Area”,
Religion and Society, 1982, 29, 1, pp. 3-29; Prabhakar, M.E., “The
Search for a Dalit Theology”, Towards a Dalit Theology, M.E.
Prabhakar, ed., Delhi, ISPCK, 1989, pp. 35-47; Prabhakar, M.E.,
163
“Andhra Christians – Some Demographic and Ecclesial Issues”,

Religion and Society, 1990, 37, 1, pp.4-28.
58. Thumma, Anthoniraj, Breaking Barriers: Liberation of Dialogue and

Dialogue of Liberation, Delhi, ISPCK, 2000.
59. Pieris, A., An Asian Theology of Liberation, New York, Orbis Books,
1988.
60. Andhra Pradesh Bishops’ Council (APBC), Vision and Action Plan
of the Catholic Church in Andhra Pradesh, Hyderabad, APBC, 2001.
61. Andhra Pradesh Bishops’ Council (APBC), Pastoral Letter of APBC,

Hyderabad, APBC, 2001.
62. John Paul II, Ecclesia in Asia, Mumbai, Pauline Publications, 1999.
63. John Paul II, Beginning the New Millennium, Mumbai, Pauline
Publications, 2001.
64. Pratapa Reddy, Gurram, Janapadarithilo Mariamata Uthzavaalu

(Marian Devotions in Folk Form), Hyderabad, Juvala Publications,
1999; Wiebe, Paul D., Christians in Andhra Pradesh, Madras, CLS,
1988; Thanugundla, Solomon, Structures of the Church in Andhra
Pradesh, Rome, Secunderabad, 1976.
65. Thumma, Anthoniraj, Wisdom of Weak: Foundations of People’s

Theology, Delhi, ISPCK, 2000.
66. John Paul II, Beginning the New Millennium, Mumbai, Pauline
Publications, 2001, pp.57-58.
PUBLICATIONS BY THE AUTHOR
1. Books Authored in English:
1. Sparks of Realization, Nellore, 1980.

2. Prema Yoga: The Realization of Love, Mangalore, 1981.
3. Are You OK? The Art of Self-Realization, Mangalore, 1981.
4. Youth Take-off, Jottings for a Youth Theology, Nellore,
Satyanveshi Publications, 1985.
5. ABC of Peace, Nellore, Satyanveshi Publications, 1986.
People’s Theology Series:
6. Voices of the Victims: Movements and Models of People’s

7. Springs from the Subalterns: Patterns and Perspectives in
People’s Theology, New Delhi, ISPCK, 1999.
8. Wisdom of the Weak: Foundations of People’s Theology, New
Delhi, ISPCK, 2000.
9. Dalit Liberation Theology: Ambedkarian Perspective, New Delhi,
ISPCK, 2000.
10. Breaking Barriers: Liberation of Dialogue and Dialogue of Liberation,
New Delhi, ISPCK, 2000.
11. People’s Power: Asian / Indian Liberation Theology, New Delhi,
ISPCK, 2000.
2. Books Edited in English:
1. In Deep Waters: Housing Rights and Floods in Hi-Tech Hyderabad,

Hyderabad, CHATRI, 2000.
2. Church at the Crossroads, Signposts for Third Millennium, Guntur,
A.P. Formators Forum, Don Bosco Press, 2001, (co-editor).
3. Christian Commitment to Nation Building, Bangalore, Indian
Theological Association & Dharmaram Publications, 2002, (co-
editor).
165
3. Works Edited in Telugu:
1. Christu Viplavam, Nellore, Satyanveshi Publications,1989

2. Chaitanya Yuvatha, Nellore, Satyanveshi Publications, 1990.
3. Chaitanya Mahila, Nellore, Satyanveshi Publications, 1990.
4. Yuva Kiranam (Periodical), Nellore, Chaitanya Yuva Kendrum,
1989-1990.
5. Nene Velugu (Theological Quarterly), Hyderabad, St John’s
Regional Seminary, 1999-2001.
6. Daiva Rajyam, Hyderabad, St John’s Regional Seminary, 2003.

Marching With The Marginalised

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1

2 Marching with the Marginalised

JEEVAN PRINT, HYDERABAD

MARCHING WITH THE MARGINALISED: EXPLORATION IN CONTEXTUAL MISSION

© Anthoniraj Thumma, 2012

Cover photo courtesy :

Designed & Printed at :

1. Mission to the Marginalised in Third Millennium 1

2. The Christology of Counter - Culture 31

3. The Commitment to Peace with Justice 72

4. Advancing in Unity through Collective Struggles 102

5. The Promotion of the People’s Theology 116

Publications by the Author 153

Hence, the purpose of the book is to remind ourselves

The Church in India has re-committed herself to the

On March 23, 2012, Pope Benedict XVI while

Without claiming to be comprehensive and definitive

relate to the People’s Theology that emerges from the

Some members of the Church are frustrated that many

Finally, this book invites all to join the struggles of

the Oppressed pro-actively and march with the

The authour is ever grateful to the groups from the

MISSION WITH THE MARGINALISED

Introduction: “Mission to” or “Mission with”

The second decade of the Third Millennium has dawned

The scandal of poverty, injustice and inequality in the world

to the reinforcement of the oppressive caste structures by the

1.0. Context of the Dalits in Third Millennium

1.1. Historical Domination

Caste system has entered its fourth millennium. Last three

The varna ideology of inequality superimposed over the

The divisive caste system with these hegemonic ideological

Caste has been the single factor in Indian society for

to Muslim rule, to Western Colonial rule to the present

1.2. Post-Independent continuation of Discrimination

Even in this Third Millennium close to million Dalits are

national shame that as we march into the 21 Century as a nuclear

Growing Dalit struggles for equality and human rights, and

drinking water; hardly 10% of them have proper sanitation, and

The basic human rights to food and livelihood, education,

Another data is more shocking: the Brahmins who are

1.3. Further Marginalization under Corporate Globalism

The process of globalization in India has disproved the

values of justice, equality, sense of community, concern for

From 1991, with the introduction of New Economic Policy

Due to government’s present focus on profit in the market

unfolding conditions. All these coupled with adverse weather

“India is shining” (BJP’s 2004 election campaign slogan)

Privatization process is depriving the Dalits of the

According to the government statistics the decadal reduction in

Those most affected by the process of globalization are

In short, as Prof. Thorat of Jawaharlal Nehru University,

1.4. The Onslaught of Hindutva Fascism

Hindu religious fundamentalism led by the Sangh Parivar

To preserve the varnashrama dharma, shuddi movement

Anti-conversion laws are being passed and implemented

The manipulation of Indian Census that record all Dalits

conspiracy for keeping them under the Hindu domination and

1.5. Dalit Assertion and Protest Movements

Resistance to the inhuman monstrous caste system has

Babasaheb Dr. B. R. Ambedkar was the fist Dalit to launch

institutions, publications, political party formations,

The UN World Conference against Racism, Racial