CHENNAI, India (UCAN) -- Church leaders in Tamil Nadu, southern India, have urged the state government to take back a favor it granted backward-caste Christians a year ago.

Bishop Peter Remigius of Kottar told UCA News on July 2 that Christians have realized the exclusive quotas for these backward groups in government jobs and educational institutions is harming their community rather than helping it.

To get the September 2007 government order revoked, the Catholic prelate led a delegation comprising leaders of Christian denominations and political parties to see state Chief Minister Muthuvel Karunanidhi on June 30.

Church leaders in the state had earlier welcomed the government's reserving 3.5 percent of the jobs and school slots for Christians and the same percent for Muslims. These were part of a 30-percent reservation the government sets aside for backward-caste people of all religious communities.

At first, the Christian leaders said the "special reservation" would benefit 80 percent of the Christian community, which accounts for 6.5 percent of the state's 62 million people.

The government allots quotas of educational seats and jobs to groups it classifies as dalit (former untouchables), most backward and backward, based on the caste they are born into, as well as to tribals.

Currently, the Tamil Nadu government reserves 69 percent of all government jobs and seats in government-managed educational institutions, the largest reservation in the country, to such marginalized groups.

Bishop Remigius said the Christians had not foreseen the implications of the special reservation.

Before its implementation, the backward-caste Christians competed within the general 30 percent reservation, but now they can compete only for the 3.5 percent reserved exclusively for Christian, Bishop Remigius explained. In this way, he said, the special reservation has diminished the backward Christians' chances of better opportunities.

The backward-caste Christians first thought they could compete for all seats reserved for backward castes, besides the exclusive quota, Bishop Remigius continued. "However, we have realized it is not the case, and we are urging the government to revoke the special reservation."

Bishop Remigius' diocese has a large number of backward-caste Christians who recently opposed the reservation. It is situated Kanniyakumari district, where opposition to the special reservation is strongest.

Father Vincent Chinnadurai, spokesperson for the Tamil Nadu Bishops' Council, told UCA News on July 2 that Christians from backward communities are educated, and the new quota restricted their job opportunities.

As an example, the priest pointed to the ongoing process of admission to medical schools. The government offers 2,699 seats in those schools, but Christians can only get 94 seats because of the new quota policy. With their educational qualifications, they could get more than 300 seats if the entire 30 percent quota is open to them, the priest said.

According to Father Chinnadurai, the chief minister has promised to look into the Christians' demand. He said all Churches in the state have agreed to meet on July 15 to reach a consensus on this.

Bishop Remigius said he also submitted a separate memorandum asking the state government to ensure equal treatment for Christians. He pointed out that the state considers Hindu Vanniyar as belonging to a "most backward" caste, while Christian Vanniyar are classified as "backward caste" members.

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