In the 1961 census, Christians from the choorra caste were categorised as Isai. Isai is taken from Isa, an Arabic equivalent of Jesus. Their profession was officially written as sweepers in the 1961 census. Over time, the word Isai got stigmatised because of its association with their ancestral caste-based cleaning occupation. Therefore, as observed by researcher Asif Aqeel and journalist Sama Faruqi, Punjabi Christians became involved in an ongoing social movement to call themselves Maseehi, not Isai. The community representatives even went to the Supreme Court of Pakistan to request that the Christian community be referred to as Maseehi instead of Isai. A court order was passed in their favour.
Ayra Indrias Patras, ‘Once a sweeper…?’, Dawn
