In a landmark move to combat discrimination in the workplace, a new piece of legislation was introduced recently, in the Seattle City Council that aims to consider caste as a form of discrimination akin to race, color, gender, religious creed and nationality. The ordinance, introduced by Indian-American council member Kshama Sawant, aims to provide greater protection for Indian Dalit workers in the city.

Increasing complaints of discrimination

The move comes in response to increasing reports of caste-based discrimination in the United States, particularly in industries such as technology, construction, and service industries. With over 167,000 people of South Asian descent living in Washington, concentrated largely in the Greater Seattle area, the region must address caste discrimination and make it visible and addressed.

Samir Khobragade, Tech worker & South Asian American community member, Raghav Kaushik, Tech worker & South Asian American community member, Hassan Khan, Human rights activist among others supported the move.

The legislation, if passed, will prohibit businesses from discriminating on the basis of caste with respect to hiring, tenure, promotion, workplace condition and wages. It will also ban discrimination in public accommodations such as hotels, public transportation, retail establishments and restaurants. Additionally, the law will prohibit housing discrimination in rental housing leases and property sales.

Victory for Ambedkerite groups in US

Sawant, a member of Socialist Alternative, emphasized that caste discrimination takes many forms, including social segregation, economic deprivation and physical and psychological violence. She noted that this legislation is a victory for Ambedkerite groups in the US, which have been demanding legal protection against caste-based discrimination by their compatriots from dominant castes.

This is not the first time that the issue of caste-based discrimination has been addressed in the United States. Harvard, Brown, California State University, and Brandeis University have all previously acted against caste-based discrimination and included it under their non-discriminatory policies.

The unforgettable Cisco case, 2020

The introduction of the ordinance has been met with support from the Indian-American community, with Anil Wagde, an Indian IT worker in Atlanta and a member of Ambedkar International Centre, calling it a significant achievement in terms of bringing the issue up for discussion in political forums. Wagde cited the Cisco case of 2020 as an example of the need for this legislation, where a Dalit worker was harassed and transferred from a project by a forward caste person after his caste background was revealed. Despite taking his grievances to the human resource department, they were not addressed. The worker then approached the Department of Fair Employment and Housing, now renamed the California Civil Rights Department, and was able to convince officials of the caste-based discrimination he had faced.

The council will now undertake discussions with the public on the merits of the bill and consider it for passing. Regardless of the outcome, the introduction of the ordinance serves as an important step towards addressing and combating caste-based discrimination in the United States.