Opinion Express View on caste in California

For many in the diaspora and even in India, California is the shiny site of the “American dream”. Among the richest states in the US, it is home to Silicon Valley and the tech industry and has witnessed the rise of aspirational figures like Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, Satya Nadella at Microsoft, et al. But the state has pioneered more than start-ups that became unicorns. It has also been at the forefront of some of the most progressive legislation in the US including on pollution control, LGBTQIA+ rights and racial discrimination. Earlier this week, the California legislature passed SB-403, which amends extant disability legislation to make “ancestry” and caste-based discrimination illegal. It is the first US state to do so. While no form of discrimination — especially one as complex as caste — can be legislated away, the law is certainly a step forward.

Earlier this year, Seattle became the first city to recognise caste discrimination and in 2020, Cisco was sued by the state because two Indian managers allegedly discriminated against a Dalit engineer. Universities as well as the Democratic Party have taken cognisance of caste. The law, then, is not merely a top-down imposition but both a part and consequence of a larger churning. Long seen as a “model minority”, South Asians have been among the communities that have benefited from affirmative action, the push for diversity and America’s larger reckoning with ideas of social justice. Many Indian-Americans carry their culture, religion and beliefs with them. Most may even want to discard the burden of caste in “the land of the free”. Yet, some have carried prejudice with them too. If they act in an exclusionary manner, should they not face consequences? To label a move to address discrimination as “Hinduphobia” does disservice to both religion and ideas of natural justice.

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Like every religious tradition, Hinduism has its warts — the treatment of the so-called “lower castes” has been chief among them. In India, attempts have been made to address them through reservation, broader conversations and stringent anti-discrimination laws, including the SC/ST Atrocities Act. The confrontation with this legacy of inequality is ongoing and few would argue that either the country or religion is worse for it. In fact, that there are enough Indian migrants in the US with the means and courage to raise their voices against discrimination is to be welcomed. After all, if the Indian-American dream is merely financial, unwilling to confront its own demons, it is a fragile one.