In the Shadow of Rosa Park’s Passing: India’s Important Civil Rights Case
Last week I delighted in the extensive press coverage remembering Rosa Parks and in her becoming the first woman to receive the honor of lying in state in the Capitol Rotunda. Her example showed how anyone can make a difference, and a lot of times it’s the small things that really end up tilting the scales. It’s also worth remembering that there were two teens, Claudette Colvin and Mary Louise Smith, who had exhibited the courage to take similar stands in previous months. I guess Rosa Parks was in the right place at the right time, but she still had to have the courage to stand up, or in her case sit down, for what was right.
In the midst of what is a fitting tribute, I hope those of us in the U.S. don’t miss what is going on right now in another democracy, the world’s largest. The Indian Supreme Court is expected to rule soon on the rights of Christian Dalits (”Untouchables”), who have been denied basic rights and opportunities granted to others in India, even Dalits of other religions.
The issue is not a minor one in India, where millions of Dalits have turned to Christianity. The estimate of 18 million Christian Dalits implies a population similar in size to that of Blacks in the U.S. in 1960. The Indian Supreme Court is expected to hold a hearing later this month. I hope the Indian courts and Parliament will give full recognition of all Dalits as valuable members of their society, with appropriate opportunities for affirmative action to help them overcome the effects of the oppressive discrimination they’ve suffered.
At the same time, this would certainly be a fitting time for the mainstream press to incorporate a new element into professional journalism practice. In a way similar to the practice of seeking comments from both sides of a story, it might well prove most helpful and enlightening for journalists to start including coverage of what is happening currently when recounting past struggles and suffering. The sad fact is that there’s almost always a similar struggle going on now somewhere in the world, and I think viewers and readers need to know that, just as the nation needed to know about Rosa Parks in 1955.
