no-longer-a-slumdog

No Longer a Slumdog
many Dalits from entering into Delhi for the freedom rally. Despite
this, tens of thousands of people were able to attend, and each one
was eagerly looking for hope. I was excited to be a part of it.
I remember my words as I stood before these masses who had
been exploited for so long: “My precious brothers and sisters, I
come to you today speaking on behalf of Christ, His love and
His mercy for us all. Jesus came to
set the captives free. He Himself said Watch footage from November 4, 2001.
that ‘whoever the Son sets free is free
2001 Dalit Gathering in Delhi
indeed.’ . . . We love you with Christ’s
www.nolongeraslumdog.org/dalits
love, unconditionally and always.”
This is what Jesus offers when He says, “I have come that they
may have life” ( John 10:10).
To grasp their logic in declaring a desire to quit Hinduism,
it’s important to understand the Hindu-based belief in karma
and reincarnation. That is, how a person lived their previous life
determined the outcome of this one, including the caste into
which he or she was born. For someone to be born as a Dalit,
below the feet of the Hindu god Brahma, basically means they
were terrible in their previous life and this is their time to suffer
the consequences.
This explains the shame and ill treatment heaped upon them;
many Dalits genuinely believe abuse is their proper due. But if
one should renounce their belief in reincarnation, the chains of
fatalism will be broken.
That is what has happened in the hearts of millions of Dalits
in the past decade. In spite of a violent backlash against their
liberation, I believe a corner has been turned and major change
is inevitable.
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