# Dalits: Come over and help us...



## Raj (Jun 7, 2007)

Facts about Dalits:


The word Dalit probably derives from the Hebrew root word "dal", which simply means crushed or broken. "…He hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted." (Isaiah 61:1). Renowned Dalit scholars like Dr James Massey feel that the root word "dal" in Dalit could have been borrowed into Sanskrit from Hebrew. Dalits are commonly called "Untouchables." The word "Dalit" literally means "broken" or "crushed." 


Nearly 300 million Dalits live in India today. Caste discrimination also extends to Nepal, Sri Lanka and other countries where Hinduism is present. 


The Hindu caste system was created more than 3,000 years ago by invading Aryan tribes to prevent pollution of their race.

The four main castes are: 
Brahmins - priests and teachers 
Kshatriyas - rulers and soldiers 
Vaisyas - merchants and traders 
Sudras - laborers and servants 


The Dalits fall beneath this structure and are considered less than human. Their position in Asian society is justified by ancient Hindu religious texts such as The Laws of Manu. 


Dalits are expected to perform menial, degrading tasks that include unclogging sewers, disposing of dead bodies and cleaning latrines. 


Dalits are forced to live in separate settlements, prohibited from worshipping in temples, barred from using the village wells, and their children often denied education or made to sit in the back of the classroom. 


The Indian constitution outlaws the caste system and reserves nearly 25 percent of government jobs and university spots for Dalits. However, more than a million of these posts remain unfilled, or filled by dishonest non-Dalits. 


Even simple Dalit assertions of their lawful rights and privileges have touched off hate crimes against them by members of the upper castes. These have included rape, harrassment, violence and murder. 


The average literacy rate among Dalits is approximately 37 percent. Among some Dalit communities it is a low as 10 percent. 
Every hour, two Dalits are assaulted, three Dalit women raped, two Dalits murdered and two Dalit houses burned, according to the Human Rights Education Movement of India, yet only one percent of those who commit crimes against Dalits are ever convicted. 


In India alone, the combined population of Dalits and other low-caste groups equals approximately 700 million people. While Brahmins comprise just 5 to 9 percent of India's 1 billion people, they control 78 percent of India's judicial posts, approximately half of the parliament and 89 percent of the nation's major media outlets.

***We need to pray for Dalits.Let my friends know that they are in India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. And ask God to deliver them from darkness to light, oppression to freedom, death to life. If God leads anyone, you can consider to come and work among them. 

Jesus says, You will know the truth and and the Truth will set you free. Jesus says I am the Truth.
The Bible says, I have come to set the captives free and to preach the good news to the poor. He has come to proclaim the year of jubilee. How will they believe unless someone shares it?

The Dalits are saying, who will come for us, who will deliver us (perhaps for this kind of life, God destined us)? 

sources diffrent sites on dalits*


----------



## BJClark (Jun 7, 2007)

Raj;



> Dalits are expected to perform menial, degrading tasks that include unclogging sewers, disposing of dead bodies and cleaning latrines.



not meaning to degrade the seriousness of issues these people face, however, in America they would ban together with others in like positions and stop working (go on strike) and allow the sewage to back up, allow dead bodies to fill the streets, and allow the latrines to remain dirty, and everyone else would have to deal with it until they either gained respect or got more pay.

I can only imagine what the rest of the people in India or any other Asian country would do IF these people did just that.

Maybe they need someone to help them form a Labor union of sorts; it may be something they could do in order to gain respect for the positions in which they carry and encourage others to appreicate them instead of berate and attack them.

If they have 700 million people refuse to stop unclogging the sewers, or refuse to bury the dead of the rich, or refuse to clean their toilets hmmmm.

Or they could look at their jobs in a new light...in that, if they didn't do it their cities would not be fit to live in, and they are the true backbone of their countries, where it could give them a sense of internal pride knowing they are giving their children a better life by not having sewage and dead bodies laying around their streets bringing even more diseases.


----------



## Raj (Jun 7, 2007)

*surely look for that day with prayers*

I can not forget the people I come from. I am praying and thinking. 

By the way, pls note also, in our country India, in the biggest state U.P., we have a chief minister, a lady called Ms Mayawati, comes from Dalits, fought for them politically and socially, comes from Village set up, studied in Delhi, was an ordinary teacher, then a advocate, resigned for the people sake, and now highest rank in state govt. It means few things are changing....

I am going to pray for that day my brother Johnson.


----------



## Augusta (Jun 7, 2007)

Raj, I will pray for your efforts among your people and that God would send you many helpers. Jesus did come to the downtodden, broken, and crushed people of this world. What a privilege to be in that number, although in the eyes of men it is not. 

I recently read about Pandita Ramabai and about India and the caste system. It is very sad to think of people considering other people less than human. I really liked Pandita's story. I hope God will raise up more people to have a big effect on India for His kingdom. Here is the link to the stories I read: http://www.christianitytoday.com/ch/2005/003/


----------



## Raj (Jun 7, 2007)

Augusta said:


> Raj, I will pray for your efforts among your people and that God would send you many helpers. Jesus did come to the downtodden, broken, and crushed people of this world. What a privilege to be in that number, although in the eyes of men it is not.
> 
> I recently read about Pandita Ramabai and about India and the caste system. It is very sad to think of people considering other people less than human. I really liked Pandita's story. I hope God will raise up more people to have a big effect on India for His kingdom. Here is the link to the stories I read: http://www.christianitytoday.com/ch/2005/003/



Great is Pandita Ramabai and her Mukti Mission (mission to liberate). I have gone through her story, in different books. Although she comes from high caste, but being a woman in her old faith, she had to suffer the stigma. 
Thanks for the prayers.


----------



## Augusta (Jun 7, 2007)

Hello Raj, I wanted to ask if any of Pandita Ramabai's Mukti Missions survives to this day? Are they still going?


----------



## eternallifeinchrist (Jun 8, 2007)

Raj-I love reading your posts! Please keep on posting about your life... "What a mighty God we serve!"


----------



## Raj (Jun 8, 2007)

*Pandita Ramabai's work continues...*



Augusta said:


> Hello Raj, I wanted to ask if any of Pandita Ramabai's Mukti Missions survives to this day? Are they still going?



www.ramabaimuktimission.com

The work of Pandita Ramabai continues.....as Mukti Misison

They are based near Mumbai , very far from us (3 days journey by train).

Mukti means salvation, liberation, deliverance etc.

hope the link will work.


----------



## Raj (Jun 8, 2007)

*dalats and Dalits are not same!*



trevorjohnson said:


> Raj;
> I checked out the Dalit school in Penang, Malaysia lat month.
> 
> Unfortunately most of the students where missionary kids from the West and not Dalits.





I was wondering when u sent me the website of Dalats school. Why my brother sent me this, but now I understand, what you meant and thought. 

Actually, Dalats and Dalits two different words, for a Western they may seem one. For Dalit kids I dont know if there is any missioinary school anywhere!


----------



## Raj (Jun 8, 2007)

*Grateful to God for Pb*



eternallifeinchrist said:


> Raj-I love reading your posts! Please keep on posting about your life... "What a mighty God we serve!"



Thanks for the interest and encouragement. I will ....

Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus.....


----------



## Raj (Jun 8, 2007)

*strikes yes....*

They do strikes and have some unions too.. it may give them more salary and facilities but it certainly does not changes the "perspective" of the masses towards them. Unless the Son sets free people they will continue to suffer and will continue to make others suffer. I believe perfection will be only in kingdom of heaven. So we eagerly/desperately wait for new heaven and earth.


*M K Gandhi in his Harijan dated 26-12-1936 writes, "Whether the Harijan is nominally a Christian, Muslim or Hindu and now Sikh, he is still a Harijan. He cannot change his spots inherited from Hinduism. He may change his garb and call himself a Catholic Harijan or a Muslim Harijan or Neo-Muslim or Neo-Sikh, but his untouchability will haunt him during his life time". Since he too had Hindu eye, he is right.

*"The Manusmriti of the Alien-Aryans is notorious for its discriminatory laws. For instance, the Brahmins didn't have to suffer capital punishment though they might have committed the most heinous crime on earth. With the promulgation of this Presidential Order, the writing on the wall was clear - no matter what kind of Constitution or penal codes we might officially have, it would be the Manusmriti, which would actually be in practice after independence. " *Bishop Ezra Sargunam


not meaning to degrade the seriousness of issues these people face, however, in America they would ban together with others in like positions and stop working (go on strike) and allow the sewage to back up, allow dead bodies to fill the streets, and allow the latrines to remain dirty, and everyone else would have to deal with it until they either gained respect or got more pay.

I can only imagine what the rest of the people in India or any other Asian country would do IF these people did just that.

Maybe they need someone to help them form a Labor union of sorts; it may be something they could do in order to gain respect for the positions in which they carry and encourage others to appreicate them instead of berate and attack them.


----------



## eternallifeinchrist (Jun 9, 2007)

Is Pandita a common name?


----------



## Raj (Jun 11, 2007)

*Pundit means learned one*



eternallifeinchrist said:


> Is Pandita a common name?



*She (Pundita Ramabai) was a Sanskirt scholar who at the age of twenty was publicly honored by the Shastris of Calcutta as a Pandita... (*from the Mukti mission site).

In our traditional culture, whoever is born in Brahmin family is called pundit. It is no matter, if he is a durnkard, illitrate or less educated etc. Pundit is used for male, and Pandita or panditain is for female. This is not a common name but a common title for calling, addressing with high respect.

However, in most of the cases Brahmins are educated, (as they had the right to be educated from the ancient times).

If a person from lower caste and high educated they dont call him with Pundit or Pandita. what a sad thing! Dr B.R.Ambedkar, a lower caste, who had two PhD's , wrote our constitution after independance. He was considered still lower human being. In his office, a high caste peon threw the files to him instead of giving in hands (he had the fear of being getting touched, and defiled).

The Hindu Scriputre in Sanskrit says for those who did not get education:
Yesha na vidhya, na tapo, na danam, gaynam, na shilam, na guno, na dharmam
Te manushay loken bhuvi bhar bhuta manusha rupenscha mirga charanti.
Those who DO NOT HAVE EDUCATION, meditation, alms to give, no knowledge,no virtue, and religion, they are on this earth burden and in the flesh of human live like animal.

From this root I believe this word "pundit" has been added now to English dictionary. Pls check any dictionary, it means learned one, expert who speakes publicly on a subject (from Collins dictionary).


----------



## eternallifeinchrist (Jun 11, 2007)

Fascinating!


----------

