A longtime partner with CWR is Truthseekers in India. Truthseekers is working with reconciliation between the castes in India. Truthseekers sees casteism as the defining, systemic sin of India. It dominates the lives of all Indians. It keeps the nation’s majority population of about 850 million low-caste, untouchable and tribal peoples under the rule and control of the minority upper castes.
Truthseekers has been working for years to combat the caste system. One of their main strategies is to hold a series of conferences about the caste system and reconciliation. These conferences bring together people from all different castes (upper, lower, untouchables) to talk about casteism and how the injustices of the system are effecting the people of India. In addition, the conferences work on reconciliation between the castes. A lot of the reconciliation comes from symbolic acts of people from different castes sitting down and eating a meal together and washing each other’s feet.
In addition to the conferences, Truthsekeers actively lobbies the government to help overcome some of the systemic injustices brought about by the caste system. Truthseekers participated in rallies for the creation of a new Cabinet Ministry of Reconciliation to address caste-based grievances. Underlying all of Truthseekers actions is the belief in Jesus Christ and belief in the value of every person–Truthseekers works to help people find dignity in the Kingdom of God.
They have seen a lot of success from these conferences mostly resulting from the positive response the conferences and footwashings created. More people are becoming aware of the injustices in the caste system and looking for reconciliation. Politically, Truthseekers message of reconciliation is now being seen on advertisements for one political party. Culturally, Truthseekers is seeing progress with the redemption of Indian festivals. Millions of Indians are moving their celebrations from brahminical festivals to ones that empower India’s low caste culture. In addition, millions of Lower Caste Indians are hearing about the good news of Jesus Christ and choosing to follow him.
Truthseekers believes that India is heading for a tipping point, that sometime soon God will show up mightily in India and will overcome the social and spiritual injustices that have affected it for so long. Until that point Truthseekers will continue fighting for the cause of justice, searching for the truth, and waiting for the time when India will be truly free.
–Michyla Lindberg, intern with CWR
