2.2. Explanations: Being Anglo-Indian or being an Indian
Christian Anglo-Indian
The Indian Census makes no distinction between Indian
Christians and Anglo-Indians. Anglo-Indians also blamed
the associations for inadequate record-keeping. Two
certificates were required for membership of Anglo-Indian
associations. The first was the birth certificate and the
second one was the parent's marriage certificate. (8) Some
associations were interested in increasing the membership,
and often overlooked these two certificates which defined
Anglo-Indian ethnicity. (9)
The most important ethnic aspect of an Anglo-Indian is
European descent in the male line. The definition of an
Indian Christian is:
Indian Christian means a native of India, who
is or, in good faith claims to be of unmixed
Asiatic descent and who professes any form of
Christian religion. (10)
This is very different from the definition of an
Tknglo-Indian. Although all Anglo-Indians in India are
Citizens of India, and all Anglo-Indians are Christian by
religion, the Indian Christian is a person of unmixed
Asiatic descent, while the Anglo-Indian is a person of
mixed European descent.
The Anglo-Indian was treated non-biologically in two post
Independence Censuses. After the 1961 Census, the criteria
used for grouping of Anglo-Indians was discontinued. The
Government had decided to do away with classification
related to caste or community retaining only religion. The
religions included Sikh, Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist, Parsee
and Christian. Christians included Anglo-Indians; both
Indians who were Christians and British settlers in India.
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