(Cast)e Abroad
By Pardeep
04 August,
2008
Countercurrents.org
The word Caste is derived from the Portuguese word “Casta” meaning lineage, breed, or race. Recently very interestingly 2-3 major cases of discrimination came into light from the developed nations like USA, UK. (“First an Indian millionaire couple caught in exploiting maid”, “secondly a Hindu father set on fire his daughter’s house on fire in USA just because she married a lower caste person”, one another news “A Boston graduate was molested and sexually abused by a Hindu Priest of a Hindu temple in Moshi, Tanzania”). Apart from all these there was news few days back that RSS people strengthening their base in USA, UK universities through the Hindu students studying there. The mentality of these Hindus is like “if we can’t become like USA then what? We can make USA like India”!! I think that’s what they have started working for!! Around one in 25 people in the world experiences some form of caste discrimination. About 300 million people suffer caste discrimination throughout the world. More than half of these are in India.
First time
in 2001, Caste Discrimination was brought in front of whole world
(by the people working for Dalit Rights) in the World Conference Against
Racism (WCAR) held at Durban, despite India’s objection. But
still no change in the system, people those were suffering earlier
are still suffering!!
Castes which earlier used to exist in India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri
Lanka, Bangladesh etc countries, now these incidents show that caste
has been exported from India to the many other developed countries
also, which should be the area of concern to all the governments &
all those who are concerned about the basic human rights, good community
relationships. These incidents are not new, reports (July, 2006) of
“Dalit Solidarity Network UK (DSN)” clearly showed Caste
Discrimination prevailing in UK. When asked by DSN “Do you believe
that Indian people in the UK follow the caste system? 84.67% people
said YES. 80% agreed that caste divide people. Even in UK, USA, Canada
etc countries there are separate Gurudawaras (Temples of Sikhs) i.e.
Ramgarhia, Jat (upper caste in Punjab), and Ravidasi (followers of
Guru Ravidas) people can be seen visiting different Gurudawaras same
as in Punjab (India).
Another research by Mark Juergensmeyer from UK states that, “Caste
relationships between caste groups seem to be upheld to a great extent…the
rules of endogamy (marrying within the caste group) are still strictly
followed”. People face discrimination in political, education,
employment & health sector mainly, i.e. same as in India, thou
may be somewhat lesser or to same extant. The former Mayor of Coventry,
Ram Lakha, a Labour Councilor who is a Dalit, faced intense discrimination
from ‘upper castes’ when he stood for election in a largely
Indian ward. ‘During campaigning he was often told that he would
not get people’s vote as he was a “chamar”. So he
filed his nomination in a non-Asian constituency and was able to win.
A shopkeeper in Wolverhampton, England, tells of an incident where
a customer insisted that their change be placed on the counter to
avoid contact with someone from a lower caste.
On a factory floor, in Wolverhampton, England, women from so-called
upper castes will not take water from the same tap as a lower caste
person.
"Caste has caused division and it does cause social devastation.
The problem is that nobody has accepted the problem within this country
(UK). Caste is one area which is totally swept under the carpet".
--- “The Caste Divide,” BBC Radio 4, April 2003
“Rodiya” community of Sri Lanka is considered as lower
caste people, similarly “Buraku” community of Japan also
have suffered same as Dalits are still suffering in India, but because
of the Buddhism in Sri Lanka & Japan the condition of Buraku &
Rodiya people is now somewhat better than Dalits of India. It was
considered that globalization will destroy the Caste but caste system
is so deeply rooted in Hindu religion that there seems no such scope,
wherever these Hindus will go, they will carry caste discrimination
with themselves & will stop the development & harmony of country.
Is there any scope for human development if we continue with Caste
Discrimination? Only escape is conversion from Hinduism, as such there
is no use of living in the religion which teaches you discrimination
& where there is no value of human & humanity.
Untouchables (Dalits) are made “Religious, Economic and Political
Slaves” by means of “Hindu Caste System”. Noticing
the new cases of caste discrimination in developed countries, I think
it’s a time for the international leaders at UN to again rework
on the present policies related to the “Caste Discrimination”
also people who believed in “Basic Human Rights” from
all over the world have to come forward to destroy “Hindu Caste
System” and give justice to millions of people suffering since
last thousands of years.
Further References:-
No Escape – Caste Discrimination in the UK (Dalit Solidarity
Network UK Report, July 2006) Report is available at www.idsn.org/Documents/pdf/UK-Diaspora.pdf
A History of the Untouchables: The Buraku and the Dalit – An
article by Katelyn Coyle
Caste discrimination – A case for inclusion in the new equality
framework? -- An article by Annapurna Waughray
Caste Discrimination Overseas – Adjourned Debate in the UK Parliament
(22 Nov, 2005)
Dalit Journalists Expose Caste Discrimination in Nepal's Villages
as National Dalit Protests Escalate (August 14, 2007)