India (text reproduced here; link to changing page):
The Indian government has rejected demands that social benefits be extended to Dalit Christians and Muslims. A clause in the 1950 Constitution of India enshrined the right of Hindu Dalits to "social reservations" for jobs and educational placements. At that time, the Dalits, also known as Untouchables, comprised 15 percent of the population. The right to social reservations has since been extended to Dalits who become Sikhs and Buddhists; however, the government has not done the same for Christians. Social Justice Minister Satyanarayan Jatiya justified the policy, saying that Hindu Dalits suffered most from the social and economic discrimination under India's caste system. The All India Christian Council and a number of human rights organizations plan to take the issue to court and lobby high government officials." Separate treatment of Dalit Christians on the basis of religion amounts to discrimination by the government and a violation of constitutional principles," said Pappu Yadav, leader of the opposition party Janata Dal. (Compass Direct)