Jul 22, 2011 / 04:00 am
Thousands of Dalit Christians and Muslims known as the “untouchables” or “slumdogs” of India will gather in the streets of New Delhi to protest for equal societal rights.
From July 25-27, over 5,000 local Muslims and Christians of all denominations will fast publicly, and on July 28, march to the palace of India's federal parliament.
The Dalits or “outcasts” are on the lowest level of the social scale in India. Although the country has formally abolished the caste system, it still lives on in cultural practice and social institutions.
Next week's massive protest has been organized by the National Coordination Committee for Dalit Christians, the National Council of Dalit Christians, and the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India.