Over the last three years, there have been 10 Hindu temple vandalisms and five statue vandalisms across the US, including those of Mahatma Gandhi and Maratha emperor Shivaji. Indian-Americans, who are the second-largest immigrant group in the US, are affected by these hate crimes. However, India banned caste discrimination in 1948 and enshrined that policy in the Constitution in 1950. Recently, the US city of Seattle enforced a landmark law banning caste-based discrimination, making it the first city outside India to do so. It is hoped that this law will set a precedent for other countries around the world to follow.
Seattle Becomes the First City Outside India to Ban Caste-Based Discrimination
Seattle has become the first city outside India to enforce a law banning caste-based discrimination. The landmark legislation was moved by Kshama Sawant, an Indian-American politician, economist, and an upper-caste Hindu, and approved unanimously by the Seattle City Council by a vote of six to one. The law, which went into effect recently, prohibits businesses from discriminating based on caste with respect to hiring, tenure, promotion, workplace conditions, or wages. It also bans discrimination based on caste in places of public accommodation, such as hotels, public transportation, public restrooms, or retail establishments, as well as in rental housing leases, property sales, and mortgage loans.
The legislation is being hailed as a significant breakthrough for the global fight against caste oppression and is expected to open the floodgates for winning similar bans on caste discrimination in other cities and states in the US. Since the law’s passing in Seattle, policies against caste discrimination have been proposed in Toronto and California.
However, many Indian-Americans fear that codifying caste in public policy will further fuel instances of Hinduphobia in the US. Nevertheless, Sawant, who migrated to the US from Pune in the late 1990s, stressed that the next step would be to enforce the new law in the city. She said that her Council office would host a public hearing in May, inviting working people to speak out, and that activists and working people would need to adopt the kind of fighting strategy they used to win in Seattle.
The law, which is being touted as a significant step forward in the fight against caste discrimination globally, prohibits businesses and other organizations from discriminating based on caste. It is the first legislation of its kind to be implemented outside South Asia, and activists hope that it will set a precedent for other countries around the world.
Hindu Temples and Statues Vandalized Across the US Over the Last Three Years
Over the last three years, ten Hindu temples and five statues, including those of Mahatma Gandhi and Maratha emperor Shivaji, have been vandalized across the US, as an intimidation tactic against the Hindu community. Indian-Americans are the second-largest immigrant group in the US, with 4.2 million people of Indian origin residing in the United States, according to data from the 2018 American Community Survey conducted by the US Census Bureau. Despite India banning caste discrimination in 1948 and enshrining that policy in the Constitution in 1950, the recent spate of vandalism shows that more work needs to be done to combat discrimination and hate crimes against the Hindu community in the US.
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