Casteism is a canker on society, it hollows it out. The fact that it exists in India is not in doubt, but the fact that it has followed the Indian immigrants here to the UK is disgusting. More economic development or more education doesnt seem to have made a difference. One of the countries where liberalism was born has this horrible thing in its society.
See this. I quote:
Caste discrimination is rife in the UK, with more than half of those from traditionally lower-status Asian backgrounds finding themselves victims of prejudice and abuse, according to a report published today.
The study, co-ordinated by the Anti Caste Discrimination Alliance (Acda), suggests that the caste system is still widespread and affects tens of thousands of people in the workplace, the classroom and even the doctor's surgery.
Fifty-eight percent of the 300 people surveyed said they had been discriminated against because of their caste, while 79% said they did not think the police would understand if they tried to report a caste-related "hate crime".
Almost half of the respondents (45%) said they had either been treated negatively by co-workers or had comments made about their caste. Nine per cent felt they had been passed over for promotion, and 10% said they had been paid less because of their caste. A further 5% said they had experienced threatening behaviour because of their caste.
One woman said she had been demoted from her job at a radio station after her manager discovered her caste background, while one bus company decided to reorganise shifts so that a "higher caste" inspector would not have to work alongside a "lower caste" bus driver.
The classroom also appears to be subject to caste divides: 7% of those surveyed said they had been the victims of threatening behaviour while aged under 12 at school, with another 16% suffering verbal caste abuse. According to the study, 10% of those responsible for caste discrimination against under-12s were teachers, and 42% fellow pupils.
One of the most commonly reported forms of discrimination is caste-related name-calling. Almost three quarters (71%) of those questioned in the survey identified themselves as members of the Dalit community. Dalits, who were formerly known as Untouchables because of their low caste status, are sometimes referred to abusively as chuhra and chamar
What are the Hindu, Sikh and Gujurati community associations doing about it? Sweet sod all, if you ask me. This should be taken up post haste, but I have a bit of a doubt. The reason I dont get involved with these groups is that they are actually the problem. A very narrow parochial view permeates them, the discussions in Indian origin groups is frankly horrifying, its racist, its casteist, its anti white and usually has overtones of us and them. Of course I am generalising but I dont like to be in groups where this kind of behaviour is common. Its small beer but still, sod off.
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