Image Source: AGENCIES

27-04-2023
WATSUPPTODAY DESK

The anti-caste discrimination measure has been advanced to the Senate by the California Senate Judiciary Committee with a unanimous vote. This is the first time caste-related legislation has been considered by a US state legislature. The action has sparked a political uproar in the politically engaged Indian-origin communities in the US. Thenmozhi Soundararajan of Equity Labs, which was the driving force behind the anti-caste discrimination campaign in the US, said, "Today, I proudly stand in solidarity with my caste-oppressed community members, caste equity movement organisers, and allies to say that caste-oppressed Californians are now one step closer to attaining the protections they deserve and are entitled to. She said the bill was a result of 15 years struggle of the caste-oppressed people. But there is strong opposition from Indian-American business and temple organisations. “This bill is misguided and will promote prejudice against all Indian-American businesspersons including shop owners who form the backbone of California’s economy in these challenging economic times,” said Vipul Patelwho, Asian American Shop Owners’ Association head. “We fear that this bill, if passed, will encourage frivolous lawsuits against small businesses, causing many of them to go out of market,” he added. Hindu Mandir Executives Conference, the Hindu Business Network and the Hindu Policy Research and Advocacy Collective also criticised the bill. If passed, the bill could make caste bias in California illegal by adding it as a protected category in the state’s anti-discrimination laws. Tejal Shah, convenor of the Hindu Mandir Executives’ Conference (HMEC), said the organisations and individuals behind the bill have made their disdain for Hindu customs and traditions very clear. “Common Hindu greeting ‘Namaskar’ (‘I bow to the divinity within you’), traditional Hindu practices such as classical dance, music, and sacred festivals such as Diwali and Holi have been vilified. Passage of SB 403 will legitimise this assault on the freedom of religions and make Hindu temples more vulnerable to physical attacks,” Shah said. The effort that resulted in Seattle becoming the first American city to ban caste discrimination in February was also spearheaded by Equality Labs. Kshama Sawant proposed the resolution, which the Seattle City Council adopted six to one. The legislation was initially filed last month in California by State Senator Aisha Wahab, the first Muslim and Afghan American elected to the state senate.