The TN conversion reports speak of Harijan Christian converts to have said in reply to the question, “Why do you want to become Muslims?” that “The Catholic Christians are already divided into three major groups : Nadar Christians, Pillai Christians and Fernando Christians (fishermen); The Protestants are also riven with caste differences. Even the Christian religious heads of the Tirunelveli district are appointed keeping the majority community of the area in mind. Communalism is rampant. Thus even if a Harijan becomes a Protestant or Catholic he has to remain a Harijan for ever” (Indian Express, 1-6-81)
Arthur Pais in his article, “South India’s Casteist Catholics”, refers to Adi-Dravida Catholic Association in Trichy saying: “We are discriminated against in life, our corpses are no better”, referring to the separate cemeteries for Harijans and caste Christians. I myself came across a situation in K K: district when a dead Harijan Christian could not be buried anywhere except under the tamarind tree of his landlord, to enrich the yield! My shocked comment was that the poor laborers enrich the fields of the landlords with their sweat while they are alive, and enrich their masters groves by the same minerals derived from his decomposing body, even after their death! Arthur Pais reports of discrimination against the nuns of Harijan origin, since they could not bring the requisite dowry to the church. They were given all the dirty jobs to do, “all in the name of Christian humility and to commemorate the suffering of Christ”. The conflicts are between the Catholic Vellala and Wadiyar Christians or the Camorones and Tabelites among Fernando Christians; Nadar and Syrian Christians or Vellalas. The Harijans join the smaller churches or believer groups, often to escape caste-domination and some have even gone over to Hinduism. Add to this the Mala-Madiga conflicts in AP or Holeya-Madiga conflicts in the Karnataka Church, or Syrian Christian domination over the Harijan Christians (Izhavas, Pulayans) in Kerala, and Nadar-Harijan divide in the Madras area – the South Indian picture appears rather hopeless! And yet, the question of cast is not publicly acknowledged or debated, even more concerning is the silence of the churches over the TN conversions and indictments against the churches.
