India plans to end the practice of nominating representatives of Anglo-Indians in its parliament, shocking the mostly Christian group that traces its ancestry to the British.

The federal government, led by the pro-Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), on Dec. 9 presented a bill to amend the constitution, aiming to end the provision of reserving two seats in the national parliament and one seat each in 14 state legislatures to Anglo-Indians.

“This has come as a tremendous shock to all of us,” said George Baker, who was one of two nominated Anglo-Indian members along with Kerala’s Richard Hay in the 2014-19 parliament.

However, the BJP government, which began its second stint in May, did not nominate any Anglo-Indians in the 545-seat national parliament.

“It is astounding that we have no stake in decision making,” Baker told ucanews. “Everyone in this country has representation. The only community that does not have a voice in law-making bodies is the Anglo-Indian community,” he said.

The term Anglo-Indian now includes descendants of all British, Portuguese, Dutch or other European men and women who had married Indians or settled in India. They also include some English-speaking Christians whose families have adopted European lifestyles for centuries.

India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and his home minister Sardar Patel in “recognition of our services to the nation introduced the special representation,” said Glen Galstaun, a sitting Anglo-Indian member of the Jharkhand State legislative assembly.

“We fought for the country even before and after independence. We served the defines forces and other government departments selflessly.

“Our men played crucial roles in India-Pakistan wars. An Anglo-Indian regiment of the Indian army contained the mutiny in Punjab, immediately after India’s partition.”