Caste system among Indian Christians
The caste system among Indian Christians often reflects stratification by sect, location, and the castes of their predecessors. Caste distinctions among Indian Christians are breaking down at about the same rate as those among Indians belonging to other religions. There exists evidence to show that Christian individuals have mobility within their respective castes. But, in some cases, social inertia caused from their old traditions and biases against other castes to remain, causing caste system to persist among Indian Christians to some extent. Christian priests, nuns, Dalits and similar groups are also found in Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal.
There are sections of Christians in India like in Odisha, West Bengal, etc. who do not belong to any caste having lost caste at conversion. Sometimes, this practise from generations has contributed to an integrated society.
Kerala
in Kerala consist of Latin Catholics, Syro-Malabar Catholic Church & Syro-Malankara Catholic Church. Syrian Christians in Kerala consist of the members of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church and Syro-Malankara Catholic Church, both sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches under Roman Catholic church, as well as the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, Malankara Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church, Saint Thomas Anglicans of the Church of South India, Malabar Independent Syrian Church, Chaldean Syrian Church, Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church and Syrian Christians in the Modern Protestant Churches such as Pentecostal Churches, Kerala Brethren Church and other Evangelical groups.Goa
In the Indian state of Goa, mass conversions were carried out by Portuguese Latin Catholic missionaries from the 16th century onwards. The Hindu converts often retained their caste practices. The Portuguese colonists, even during the Goan Inquisition, did not do anything to change the caste system. Thus, the original Hindu Brahmins in Goa, the only caste that could be ordained, now became Christian Bamonns and the Kshatriya and Vaishya Vanis became Christian noblemen called Chardos.Tamil Nadu
Majority of christians in the state hail from the Paravar, Mukkuvar, Udayar, Nadar, and Adi Dravidar. The mass conversion of Paravars date back to the Portuguese era and the conflict over the Pearl Fishery Coast between the Paravars and arabs in the 15th century A.D.The Paravars converted 'en masse' to Christianity and became the subjects of the Portuguese king. The Nadar conversion to Christianity dates back to the British Colonial Era in the 18th-century. The first to initiate the conversion was Mylaudy village by Sir Ringle Taube. Later in the 19th century, the Vellalars, the Udaiyars and Schedule castes embraced Christianity. The cohesion of jatis among caste Christians and the strength of caste leadership are noted by scholars to be much stronger than comparable predominantly Hindu castes in Tamil Nadu. The Christians of Tamil Nadu denote themselves as RC Vellalar, CSI Nadar etc., i.e., they use a combination of the Church and their Hindu caste name. Robert L. Hardgrave, a Professor of Humanities, notes in his work The Nadars of TamilNad.. that a Christian Nadar would enter into a marital alliance with a Hindu Nadar but never with a Christian of another caste and that they would dine with their Hindu brethren but never with a person of their own faith who was beneath them in the social scale. As per a native pastor, "Caste sticks to the people as closely as their skins. The blood of caste was thicker than the spirit of religion."Under the law
Indian law does not provide benefits for "Untouchable Christians", however Christians have been advocating for the same rights given to Hindu, Buddhist, and Sikh Scheduled castes. Despite the activists' point that Christians are a casteless society discrimination does not go away easily and Dalits seek equal rights irrespective of the religion they profess.Some Christians also oppose the proposed labeling of "Christian Scheduled castes" because they feel their identity may be assimilated. Pastor Salim Sharif of the Church of North India notes "We are becoming another class and caste."
Caste discrimination among Christians
Criticism
Many Catholics have spoken out against discrimination against them by members of the Catholic Church. A Dalit activist with a nom-de-plume of Bama Faustina has written books that are critical of the discrimination by the nuns and priests in Churches in South India. During 2003 ad limina visits of the bishops of India, Pope John Paul II criticized the caste discrimination in the Catholic Church in India when addressing bishops of the ecclesiastical provinces of Madras-Mylapore, Madurai and Pondicherry-Cuddalore, the three archbishops of Tamil Nadu. He went on to say: "It is the Church's obligation to work unceasingly to change hearts, helping all people to see every human being as a child of God, a brother or sister of Christ, and therefore a member of our own family".Dalit Christians
Mass conversions of lower caste Hindus to Christianity and Islam took place in order to escape the discrimination. The main Dalit groups that participated in these conversions were the Chuhras of Punjab, Chamars of North India, Vankars of Gujarat and Pulayas of Kerala. They believed that “Christianity is a true religion; a desire for protection from oppressors and, if possible, material aid; the desire for education for their children; and the knowledge that those who have become Christians had improved”. Christianity was thought to be egalitarian and could provide mobility away from the caste.Even after conversion, In some cases dalits were discriminated against due to the “residual leftover” practice of caste discrimination from their previous traditions. This is attributed to the predominant Hindu society they lived in. Sometimes the only change seen was their personal religious identity. In many cases they were still referred to by their Hindu caste names. Example Pulayans in Kerala, Pariah in Tamil Nadu and Madigas in Andra Pradesh by members of all religious backgrounds.The first people converted by Jesuits of the Madura Mission to Christianity were members of Nadars, Maravars and Pallar. Caste based occupations held by Dalits also show a clear segregation which perpetuated even after becoming christian. Occupational patterns are prevalent among Dalit Christians in north-west India are said to be quite similar to that of Dalit Hindus. Occupational discrimination for Dalit Christians goes so far as to restrict not only employment but in some cases for clean sanitation and water. Inter caste marriage among Christians is also not commonly practiced. For example, Syrian Christians in Kerala do not marry Dalit Christians. Even intermarriage between Bamons and Sudras in Goa is quite uncommon. Sometimes marriage to a higher class Hindu is preferred to marriage to a Dalit Christian. Discrimination against Dalit Christians also remained in interactions and mannerisms between castes for example, during the earlier days the ‘lower caste christians’ had to close their mouth when talking to a Syrian Christian. Even after conversion segregation, restriction, hierarchy and graded ritual purity remained to some extent. Data shows that there is more discrimination and less class mobility among the people living in the rural areas, where incidents of caste discrimination is higher among people from all religious backgrounds.
In many cases, the churches referred to the Dalits as ‘New Christians'. It is alleged to be a derogatory term which classifies the dalit christians to be looked down upon by other Christians. During the earlier days of christianity, in some churches in south india the dalits had either separate seating or had to attend the mass from outside. Dalit Christians are also said to be grossly underrepresented amongst the clergy in some places. Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India and the National Council of Churches in India have backed changes in the church and law to benefit dalit Christians.