Conversion has not helped Christian Dalits'

Mangalore, November 27: Explaining the status of the Christian Dalits in Karnataka, Deputy Director at the Centre for studies of local culture at Kuvempu University Dr Shanmukha A and Research Scholar Shankarappa N S said that the plight of Christian Dalits has not improved in the State, despite converting from Hinduism to Christianity.

The duo was speaking at a session on 'Problems of Christian Dalits in Karnataka' at the IV international conference on 'Rethinking religion in India' at SDM Law College on Monday. Analysing the condition of Dalits who have converted to Christianity, Shankarappa said that 'discrimination' continued to exist even after their conversion.

The mainstream Christians look down upon the Christian Dalits. There is not much difference between the treatment of Dalits by upper caste Hindus and mainstream Christians. The Christians treat Christian Dalits as the people who have converted for the sake of money and other benefits. They treat converted Dalits as aliens, he said.

Pointing out a few instances where Christian Dalits are not accepted by the mainstream Christians, he said the marriages between Christian Dalits and mainstream Christians are not accepted even to this day.

The Christian Dalits and mainstream Christians do not socialise with each other and mainstream Christians keep the converted away from the functions, the research scholar expressed.

“The evil system of caste continues to exist even after the conversion. In fact, conversion is more disadvantageous, for it deprives the Christian Dalits from seeking benefits under SC and ST quota, making their life more miserable.

Conversion makes Dalits isolated, from the Hindus as well as Christians. Hence the conversion does not solve the problem faced by the Dalits, but it only adds more problem,” he said.

However, there was differences of opinion in the audience, as a scholar who was present at the venue said, the conversion has helped Dalits to gain a little more respect in the society, especially from the members of Hindu community.

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Major facelift for Mangaluru's sporting heart: Mangala Stadium set for 2-month closure to upgrade synthetic track

News Network

December 15,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 15: Educational institutions in Mangaluru that rely on the popular Mangala Stadium for their annual sports events are bracing for an inconvenience as the city's key sporting venue is set to close its gates for a significant upgrade. The stadium is expected to be unavailable for approximately two months starting from January 15, 2026.

The closure is necessitated by a proposed overhaul of the stadium's facilities, with a special focus on upgrading the synthetic track. Pradeep Dsouza, Assistant Director of the District of Youth Empowerment and Sports (DYES), Dakshina Kannada, confirmed the development.

"Experts have visited the stadium, conducted a thorough inspection, and have given the go-ahead for a complete makeover," Dsouza stated. "Funds have been allocated for the project, and we are currently awaiting the final green signal from state officials to commence the work. We anticipate that the work will likely begin in the second week of January. Consequently, we have stopped renting out the stadium to colleges and other organizations in preparation for the upgrade."

The timing presents a logistical challenge for colleges, as many schools have already concluded their sports meets.

"Colleges will now be organizing their events and will need to find alternative locations to host their sports meets," Dsouza added. He suggested a few potential venues, including the Dakshina Kannada police ground, University College grounds, Panambur grounds, Swaraj Maidan in Moodbidri, and the Mangalore University sports grounds in Konaje.

However, many institutions note that finding a comparable venue will be difficult. While the DK police ground and University College grounds are closer to the city center, they do not possess the extensive facilities and infrastructure offered by Mangala Stadium.

Dr. P Dayananda Pai - P Satisha Govt First Grade College, Carstreet, is one such institution dependent on the stadium. Principal Jayakar Bhandary expressed hope for a swift completion of the work. "We expect the work to be completed at the earliest. If not, we will be forced to look for other venues to host the sports day for our students," Bhandary said, highlighting the pressing need for the city's main sporting facility.

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