EARLIER THIS WEEK, the Allahabad High Court ordered a statewide inquiry into Christian converts retaining Scheduled Caste (‘SC’) status, calling such retention a “fraud on the Constitution.” The High Court relied on the Andhra Pradesh High Court’s decision in Akkala Rama Reddy v State of A.P (2025) and noted that a person ceases to belong to their original caste upon conversion to Christianity.
Questions around the caste location of Christian converts, however, are not limited to the courts. The recent caste enumeration conducted by the Karnataka State Backward Class Commission sparked controversy when 33 castes within the Christian community were listed, including Banajiga Christian, Holeya Christian, Madiga Christian, Valmiki Christian. These communities were later dropped after an uproar from the opposition BJP and the governor’s suggestion. While these communities were dropped, four categories within the Christian faith were retained, namely Christian, Protestant Christian, Syrian Christians, and Scheduled Caste (‘SC’) converts to Christianity.
The move highlighted how the caste positionality of those who undergo religious conversion continues to be viewed in government policy. Be it their identity, practice or faith, Dalit Christians (SC converts to Christianity) continue a struggle to navigate their own space amidst multiple binaries.
