Reveals
the pain and agony of Dalits and Tribals after the conversion into Christianity
An Unwanted Priest, an autobiography
of Father William Premdass Chaudhary
New Delhi:
Letters can be a great instrument to
showcase the socio-political landscape of any society and culture and many
people have used this as a great tool to express their feelings – both sorrow
and happiness. Letters written by Dalit
priest Father William Premdass Chaudhary have also been used to reveal quite a
dark world of discrimination and untouchability widespread in the grandiose
Catholic Church system and debunks many myths surrounding Church.
Father
William Premdass Chaudhary attacks on the problem directly in his latest
published autobiography ‘An Unwanted
Priest’. He has an inimitable style of writing; he describes life in the
Church and priest and presents insight hitherto unknown to most of the people.
Father William Premedass Chaudhary does not mince words when he picks pen. He goes on analyzing very far and peels the
problem layer after layer with a great precision.
Analyzing
the deep rooted feeling of caste discrimination in the forewalls of Church,
Father William writes at one place in response to letter written by Vincent M.
Concessao, Archbishop of Delhi, “I am a Dalit priest not a beggar. I am not
begging you for the parish. I am not the Manglorian priest so that you will
care for me. I don’t require your permission and position (parish) to preach
the gospel. Jesus is my master and not you. I am Jesus’ slave and not yours.
Even without parish what I have achieved, I am fully satisfied.
I am
a Dalit priest so it is my duty to safeguard the dignity of Dalit
Catholics……….” He further goes on
saying, “Why, I ( local Dalit Priest) am
not assigned pastoral ministry consecutively for four years but you have
assigned pastoral ministry to other Priests of Delhi Catholic Archdiocese
though no one have gone for long retreat”. You have written in your letter that
you cannot assign me a parish because of my shortcomings which are fabricated,
as neither of my shortcomings has been proved by you…….”
The
book reveals inside world of Church, clash of ego and raises questions on the
style of functioning of the grand institution and clearly depicts the injustice
meted out to Dalit people and priests. The book exposes many things and breaks
many myths. Father William raises a big question on the financial mismanagement
of certain influential officials in the Church.
When
he writes about Dominique Immanuel, another priest, that “Please tell Fr.
Dominic to put on the website of the Delhi Catholic Archdiocese. He had Income
and Expenditure for dubbing the movie into other languages. The same Income and
Expenditure must be put on the website. When the movie was produced, the name
of the Sadbhavana was added. Why it was so? Chetanalaya was the only producer.
I heard that Fr. Dominic Emmanuel was telling others that Sadbhavana had
contributed the money towards the production of movie…..”
It
does not seem farther from the truth that there is greater need to put proper
accounting checks on the income and expenditure of Church. Similarly, at one place in the book he gives
an interesting instance and that actually became basis for the title of the
book which goes like this...
“I
am an unwanted priest because I am a Local dalit Priest”, Archbishop of Delhi
Catholic Archdiocese told Fr Premdass. One day I was having heated argument
with one of the inmate priests at clergy house. As argument went on, the priest
called me an unwanted priest. The book also compels Hindu society to think
about the Dalit brothers who in order to get the social respect and equal
treatment opt for Christianity. The Dalit converts think that they are
liberated. But, here too, they don’t get any reprieve. As, discrimination in
the Church system is very subtle the situation for a dalit priest like Father
William becomes worse and it becomes almost impossible for him to stay in the
mainstream of priesthood.
Father
William has dared to write something that not many would even dare to say or
confess even in dream. He accepts the harsh reality of conversion and the
dilemma before a dalit brother. He writes, “Mostly dalit Hindus were and are
poor because they were and are exploited by upper caste Hindus and they were
and are doing labourer jobs and menial works. After the conversion dalit
Catholics were and are exploited by the authorities of Catholics Churches.
Hindu Dalit’s condition did not improve but remain the same. They were not
allowed to come up by the upper caste people in the society (Hindu). The dalit
Catholic’s economical condition also was and is not good and their standard of
living was and is very poor even after becoming Catholics in Delhi diocese and
in North India….”
However,
the book also points out some other type of discrimination such as dominance of
South India on the Church system. South Indian, are cared more by Delhi diocese
and they have plum positions in Catholic institutions while local people and
dalit don’t get their rights and they are more or less like slaves for their
Catholic masters.
The
problem is at several levels. Though, the form and strength of Indian Church is
very much derives from large population of Dalits and Triblals who have reposed
their faith in Jesus but the structure of Church has remained elitist and
pro-upper caste. This need to change and this is precisely why wave of
confrontation has started taking shape. Book mentions about Poor Christian
liberation Movement (PCLM) that advocates the cause of dalit Christians
strongly. Father William Premdass Chaudhary has chosen a very ideal platform to
answer several questions surrounding him.
The
book – An Unwanted Priest: An
autobiography of Father William Premdass Chaudhary – will help the religious
believers, religious institutions, government, bureaucracy, judiciary,
academicians, researchers and media professionals in understanding the various
problems of Dalits and Tribals and the darkness behind the white robe. This
will help in understanding the politics of Conversion. And, it will certainly
educate all that only economic development of Dalits and Tribals, and not mere
Conversion, can bring social change in India.
By R L Francis
President, Pclm
Ph. 9810108046
Book Available for----
-Publication Wing of Jaykay Enterprises
WB-27,
G/F, Shakarpur, Delhi – 110 092, India
-Taxshila Publication
98-A,
Hindi park, Daryaganj, New Delhi – 110 002
E-mail:
taxshilabooks@gmail.com
-GAUTAM
BOOK CENTRE
Publishers
& Distributors
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