One day workshop in the southern states on the dissemination and implementation of CBCI Dalit policy

India, July 2, 2017: One day Workshop on CBCI Dalit Policy on the dissemination and implementation for the Southern states at Indian Social Institute, Bangalore was conducted on 2nd July 2017. 34 representatives from Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Pondicherry, Tamil Nadu Telangana participated in the workshop.

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India released the Dalit Policy for the Catholic Church in India in December 2016. Before December 2017 each region and diocese is supposed to come out with its action plan for the empowerment of Dalits based on the CBCI Dalit Policy. The workshop was to discuss about the ways of dissemination of the CBCI Dalit Policy up to the grassroot level and to help the regions and dioceses to chart out its plans for the empowerment of the Dalits within the Catholic Church. Fr. Selva sj the director of ISI conducted the workshop. The Regional and diocesan SC/ST/BC commission secretaries and members participated in the workshop. Fr. Cosmon Arockiaraj the former secretary to the CBCI Office for SC/BC gave his concluding remarks. He said that the CBCI Dalit Policy should be considered as the Constitution of the Indian Catholic Church.

He also cautioned that the dioceses or regions should not follow the piecemeal approach announcing certain welfare schemes while implementing the Dalit Policy rather it should be holistic.

It was decided to train experts who will go around the dioceses to speak to the priests and people about the policy its importance and the ways to implement the Policy.

– fr. devasagayaraj