The council and caste

Caste discrimination becomes a political battle in the US

The city council of Seattle in the state of Washington, US, has passed a resolution specifically banning discrimination on the basis of caste. This is the first time caste has been added to an area’s non-discrimination policy in the US, but it is unlikely to be the last. The motive force behind the resolution was a left-wing Indian-American councillor, but it has received wider support from the state’s political establishment. Whether or not this precise resolution is replicated elsewhere or stands up legally, there is no doubt that there is political momentum in the US, particularly among younger and more liberal Indian-Americans, to ensure that caste is added to the protective categories that in US law are illegal axes for discrimination.

Some Indian-Americans see this as a conspiracy against the increasing role of the community in politics, business, and society. They argue discrimination on the basis of descent or ethnicity is already illegal in many parts of the US, and specifying caste merely singles out Indians or Hindus. The Seattle city council resolution tried to get around this objection by specifying that people from multiple religions prevalent in South Asia could experience caste discrimination; and that other parts of the world — for example, East Asia — also had a history of caste. This is not sufficient, however, for the critics, who, essentially, could be divided into two groups. The first group, who is associated with the right-wing in India and is often affiliated directly with religious organisations, sees this attack on caste as essentially an insult to India or to religious practices. The second group worries that the addition of caste to the ledger of protected characteristics might reduce the attractiveness of Indians and Indian-Americans to companies. This is because US corporations fear lawsuits above pretty much everything else, and caste discrimination might become fertile ground for action in court.
 

Some such cases are already in the judicial arena. One Dalit engineer is suing Cisco, his former employer, for discrimination on the basis of caste. The engineer has said he was excluded from meetings by other South Asian employees and lost out on promotion due to his caste background. The engineer — represented by the California Civil Rights Department — is fighting his case under a law of the state that prohibits ancestry discrimination. Such cases might well be easier to fight if protection against caste discrimination was clearly spelt out in law. Thus there is concern from some in the community that it might make Indian-Americans in general less appealing as hires. Yet that can hardly be the reasonable and rational approach here. Caste discrimination is abhorrent everywhere and it must not find room to grow in the United States alongside the power of those of Indian descent in the country. Instead, it must be treated on a par with racial and gender discrimination.