India’s First Dalit Cardinal and CBCI President Raises Voice for Minorities Before Government
Cardinal Anthony Poola, India’s first Dalit Cardinal and the current President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI), has called on both the Central and State governments to publicly reassure minorities that they are safe and protected. In an interview with The Indian Express, a national English-language daily newspaper in India, on February 16, he said that a visible commitment to constitutional freedoms is essential to strengthen public confidence and national unity.
Dalits are communities historically placed at the bottom of India’s traditional caste hierarchy
Speaking after assuming leadership of the CBCI in Hyderabad, the Cardinal said that violence or intimidation against any religious community is unacceptable in a democratic society. He urged authorities to ensure prompt and impartial investigations into such incidents and to uphold the rule of law without ideological bias.
Cardinal Poola described the Christian community in India as resilient and deeply engaged in social service. He noted that the Church’s mission goes beyond numbers, focusing on meaningful contributions in education, healthcare, and social welfare. He encouraged Christians to respond not with fear but with compassion and integrity, continuing their service while seeking justice through lawful and democratic means.
Addressing concerns about anti-conversion laws in several states, the Cardinal reaffirmed that faith must remain a free and personal choice. While rejecting forced or fraudulent conversions, he cautioned that broadly framed laws could be misused, fostering suspicion and obstructing legitimate religious activities rooted in charity and service. He emphasized that freedom of conscience is a fundamental constitutional right.
Church leaders have raised concerns about such laws in states including Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh. They maintain that these laws are sometimes misused to harass innocent individuals and impose undue restrictions on peaceful religious practice.
On the issue of Scheduled Caste status for Dalit Christians, Cardinal Poola described it as a matter of justice and equality. He observed that caste-based discrimination often persists socially even after conversion. Extending constitutional safeguards, he said, should address historical disadvantages rather than be determined by religious identity.
As a Dalit Church leader, he also underscored the need for greater inclusion within both Church structures and society. He advocated increased representation of Dalits, tribal communities, women, and other marginalized groups in leadership and decision-making roles.
