{"id":29357,"date":"2016-02-16T16:26:31","date_gmt":"2016-02-16T22:26:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/?p=29357"},"modified":"2016-02-16T17:01:06","modified_gmt":"2016-02-16T23:01:06","slug":"moody-bible-student-embraces-his-dalit-roots-to-help-others","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/moody-bible-student-embraces-his-dalit-roots-to-help-others\/","title":{"rendered":"Moody Bible student embraces his Dalit roots to help others"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Vishakha Darbha<\/strong><\/p>\n

When he was 12, Abishek Jonathan visited his ancestral village in Tamil Nadu, India, and was disheartened to learn that his relatives were denied permission to build a church. The reason: being a \u201cDalit,\u201d or an untouchable.<\/p>\n

Jonathan heard about the case of Dalit Research Scholar Rohith Vemula committing suicide<\/a> Jan 17 at the University of Hyderabad, India, about two days after it occurred. According to Jonathan, issues related to the ancient caste system have been swept under the rug instead of being dealt with in the urban parts of India. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe sentence that stood out for me in his suicide note was \u2018my birth was a fatal accident.\u2019 That really hits the nail on the head,\u201d said Jonathan, on Feb. 8, at the Moody Bible Institute Commons, where he\u2019s pursuing a degree in Biblical Exposition. \u201cHe felt an aching emptiness as a child. There may be millions of Rohiths who are silent right now.\u201d
\n<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to make use of my privilege. I want to eradicate the emptiness.”<\/div>\n

The Dalits are a community in India considered to be of low social standing, facing extreme segregation and discrimination. It was a term that was born out of the \u201cimpurity\u201d that comes with their occupations, such as cleaning toilets.<\/p>\n

Jonathan’s education is funded by the Dalit Freedom Network (DFN), in association with the Friends Church in Yorba Linda, California.<\/p>\n

His association with DFN goes back to its foundation in 2001. His father was actively involved in the organization\u2019s creation and worked with the founder, Joseph D\u2019Souza. DFN aims to end the oppression of marginalized groups across India through access to basic rights such as education and healthcare.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy dad was born a Hindu, but he converted to Christianity at the age of 20 when his brother introduced him to the book of Genesis,\u201d said Jonathan.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe grew up believing that he was meant to be cursed, until faith changed his perception on life. Now he works to empower Dalit children through education, and I\u2019m continuing his hard work.\u201d<\/p>\n