UNITED KINGDOM, January 19, 2017 (BBC): India’s caste system is among the world’s oldest surviving forms of social stratification. However, some British Asians say they still experience discrimination due to their caste. So, why are so many Hindu bodies in the UK opposed to this being made illegal?
Sudesh Rani was shopping in the Home Counties two years ago when she experienced such discrimination first hand. The 42-year-old from Bedford identifies herself as Ravidassia — a group regarded by some as at the lower end of the caste system. She says she was in a supermarket when two women began verbally abusing her. Ms. Rani says the police did not know how to handle her complaint, because they had no idea about caste. Campaigners say cases like this highlight why caste legislation is needed in the UK.
In 2010, conversations began in the House of Lords about making caste discrimination illegal. A clause proposed for the Equality Act is currently awaiting the result of a public consultation. However, many Hindu organizations are against legislation and there is controversy over the extent to which caste is a feature of Hindu religion. Some academics have claimed the caste system was introduced in its current guise during colonial rule in an attempt by the British authorities to classify and better understand the Indian society they were governing. They assert that Indians have started behaving as if part of a caste hierarchy as a result of being taught to. Legislating on caste is complex business, not least as many Hindus do not accept caste is an integral feature of the Hindu religion.
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