A woman staff working at Loyola College, Chennai has alleged that the college management is discriminating staff on the basis of their caste.
J. Buela, has reportedly been working as an Assistant Professor for five years at the ‘School of Service Learning’ in Loyola College.
She has said that she was fired from her job through an email on 31 August 2021 without prior notice.
When she had asked the Secretary of the college Rev. Dr D. Selvanayakam, S.J. for the reason for the termination, she was informed that her contract period with the college was over.
However, Buela says that no such condition was present in the appointment letter that was given to her.
“This kind of termination and casteism has been happening for a long time under the guidance of Fr. Selvanayakam S.J, and Rev Dr A. Thomas, SJ.”, she said.
She also said that nearly 25 such Dalit staff (teaching and non-teaching) have been fired adding further that though the Rector of the institution Rev Dr Francis P. Xavier, SJ is from the Dalit community (Christian Dalit), he has not been able to help.
On 24 March 2022, Buela along with a few colleagues protested inside the college premises against the management.
Speaking to The Commune, social activist Robert Rosario who has been vocal against corruption within the Church and its clergy, said that there is rampant discrimination on the basis of caste within the Church and its institutions. He said that the case of Buela is just one among many such instances of institutionalized discrimination by the Church. He also said that the clergy in the Church consider themselves to be above the law and get away with crimes using their power.
Just a few days ago, in another instance of discrimination by the Church, a class 2 boy who died in a freak accident at a school was denied a burial place by the Roman Catholic church in Chennai.
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