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The report, titled "Voice of the Community -- A Study into Caste and Caste Discrimination in the UK", says that the caste system is widespread and that it affects thousands of people in the workplace, the classroom and even the doctor's surgery.
British law currently does not protect people who suffer caste-based discrimination.
The issue was also discussed at the committee stage of the Equality Bill 2009 in the House of Commons in June this year, but the government said evidence of this was lacking.
The new study, whose main conclusion was that there is "considerable evidence of caste-based discrimination among the Asians in Britain," was coordinated by the Anti-Caste Discrimination Alliance (ACDA), and included academics from three British universities.
ACDA hoped that the study will provide evidence to the government to make caste discrimination illegal.
The study suggests that 58 per cent of the 300 people surveyed said they had been discriminated against because of their caste, while in another query 79 per cent 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 per cent) said they had either been treated negatively by co-workers or had comments made about their caste.
While, nine per cent felt they had been passed over for promotion, 10 per cent said they had been paid less because of their caste. Another 5 per cent said they had experienced threatening behaviour because of their caste.
The study was conducted by academics from the universities of Manchester, Hertfordshire and Manchester Metropolitan University.
The report said that doctors from the Indian subcontinent now indicated "a potential for caste discrimination occurring in the healthcare sector".
"There is clear evidence from the survey and the focus groups that the caste system has been imported into the UK with the Asian diaspora and that the associated caste discrimination affects citizens in ways beyond personal choices and social interaction.
There is a danger that if the UK government does not effectively accept and deal with the issue of caste discrimination the problem will grow unchecked," it said.
Meanwhile, Lynne Featherstone, Liberal Democrat MP for Hornsey and Wood Green, was quoted by The Guardian as saying that "Caste discrimination, like other forms of discrimination, needs to be outlawed. This is the evidence that will prove the case for its inclusion in the equality bill".
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The dalits in the UK should convert to Christianity. That should end their problem. There are no stupid anti-conversion laws in the UK.
British discrimination law is directed mostly at the ills of discrimination practised by the British themselves. On this the legal system is able to comprehend and make judgements. The word caste itself is inappropriate because as far back as one goes back in Bharat's history, there was little evidence of any such discrimination based on caste. The discrimination that is referred to is actually jati type. The British during their rule of India vested sovereignty in the jati as they provided the governing and regulating body for their tribe. Though India has gained independence and sovereignty vested in the people, the manner in which jati antagonism is kept on the political boil hardly signals any change at all. India is going to shoot itself on the foot by its aiding and abetting of jati discrimination in its politics. It is likely to become a pariah among nations that practices discrimination.
i) The Story is a fiction - and some one with like an axe to grind - like conversion promotion, jealousy of indians doing well abraod et- is trying to build a negative image about indians 2) If any caste system is practiced it is mostly in the church - where you have seperate pews for dalits or worse seperate church for different denominations
Poor Macaulay never said anything like that. What you are (mis)quoting is a hoax making the rounds of the internet. It starts saying " I have traveled across the length and breadth of India and I have not seen one person who is a beggar, who is a thief" and goes on like this. It is a good habit to check the provenance of things before you start using them. The fact remains that even if we accept that he had indeed said such a thing, we would need to get him examined by a competent opthalmologist. Oh, and also check his own competence: the Thuggee and Dacoity Department was set up in 1835, the very same year as this "famed minute" and if he was that weak in general knowledge, only God could save the King. The words "thug" and "dacoit" are Indian contributions to English. Even our ancient scriptures talk about crime and punishment; and beggars.
"I have travelled across the length and breadth of India and I have not seen one person who is a beggar,who is a thief.Such wealth I have seen in this country,such high moral values, people of such calibre,that I do not think we would ever conquer this country,unless we break the very backbone of this nation,which is her spiritual and cultural heritage,and, therefore,I propose that we replace her old and ancient education system, her culture,for if the Indians think that all that is foreign and English is good and greater than their own, they will lose their self-esteem, their native culture and they will become what we want them, a truly dominated nation."
There is no end to the list of indian contributions let it be any field.Do remember even letter Mother is from Sanskrit word Ma.Get the proof of any language older than sanskrit & then come to discuss here.
Just claiming he didnt make such statements highlights your ignorance.Its just not Macaulay infact many dignified,intellectuals have given credit & praised Indian culture which is beyond your understanding
All these fulminations do not make your quote any less of a fabrication. What I said was that there is so much rubbish floating around that you need to check stuff before you sue it. Caveat emptor! And, the moment you accept the quote as something other than a fanciful fabrication, you have to accept that the poor man was judgement-impaired and his opinion needs to be seen as just that - pure garbage. This has nothing to do with the positive contributions India made. But you would probably want me to believe that we invented paper and gunpowder, too. Coming back to the issue of caste, have you wondered why India is opposing a UNHCR draft resolution which proposes to equate all discrimination on the basis of caste, occupation or descent as a violation of human rights, while the only Hindu nation in the world, Nepal is supporting the resolution? A defect is nothing to be ashamed of - but if we keep on hiding it, it will never get cured.
So why is UNHCR draft resolution is being opposed by our nation?Simple its the hands of dirty politicans.Religion has no hand in this & why to blame nation or its culture for the same?Will you accept islam preaches terrorism?Infact n religion preaches viloence.
Indians like you can only see negatives in your own nation & other foreigners find richness in it
I am amazed by this report because caste discrimination can occur in britain only when that question is asked. i do not see in which context a person's caste is questioned? Also i do not believe that british born asians are so petty minded. This discrimination is imported from india, like the imported indian professionals who enter britain to work and live here. They bring their prejudices into this country and corrupt everyone.
This is absolute nonsense. I don't think anybody will understand the hierarchy of thousands of castes from diifferent states of India here. Apparently this is a ground work being prepared for seeking caste based reservations like in India where generations of wealthy 'backward' professionals short cut into coveted career positions without doing hard work.
When a person migrates to a nation abroad,he invariably carries with him the prejudices of his mind.The study about caste discrimination in UK highlights this aspect.When the Indian government sidesteps in drawing similarities between caste discrimination of India and racism of the west at the international fora,it should also suggest the remedy for caste discrimination which is being slowly transported to the rest of the world from India.The ill remains the single most shameful feature of our society.
Well done Brits. It is now time for you to implement 79% quota for SC and OBC, including those from Dalit Christians and Dalit Muslims. It is also necessary to erect Mayawatie statues at all road corssings and make Lallu the railway minister of UK.
Hinduism is a way of life and not a religion and frankly one of the best.However if you consider it to be a religion,like all religions,it has its downfalls. Lord Mecaulay had said "India's strength lies in its cultural heritage and to beat them, we have to systematically destroy that heritage." Sadly, the Hindus educated in the western system have been successfully brainwashed against anything Hindu and they pride in their ignorance of their roots
Many of the Dharmasastras permit even the Brahmanas to accept food from persons who are of pure character, whatever be their caste.Dharmasastras have accepted'Anuloma vivaha',according to which men of higher caste groups could marry women of the lower caste groups.'Pratiloma vivaha',the converse of the rule,was also prevalent even from ancient times.Hence it is to be conceded that inter caste marriage has not been prohibited by the Hindu religious works.Neither in the Vedas nor in the Dharmasastras do we find any sanction of Untouchability except only on holy ocassions.many saints born among these untouchables were honoured by the entire society is proof enough for this contention.Hence it can be safely asserted that the untouchability current in our society is the handiwork of selfish people with a myopic vision.Religion had no hand at all in it.
Raj Thackrey: you Pakistani muslim and wannabe Hindu. We know you suffer from Inferiority complex.That is why you like feature yourself with a Hindu name. Only one person in this forum with a filthy mind an that is you. That is why you Paks live from social security and supplementing you parasitic lives beging for illegal jobs. We know that you are YD
Caste-By-Birth and descrimination are unjust & to be abolished. But caste systems by characteristics and with equality are good for social health. In Indian culture earlier there was a caste system with no descrimination, making max of individual's skills for society. Strong and fearless were kshatriya, those inclined to arts and scholars were brahmins etc. Geeta(adhyay-4)says that world is made of 4 varnas as per person's karma. It is nowhere stated that this is to be descriminative. Hindu not being a religion but a way of life, as it does not have sansthapak like others, has been the most changing community. They had changed for wrong by bringing unjust caste-by-birth and also changed for good by abolishing unjust-customs with women. So caste system will slowly go when quota-based-on economic status is strictly implemented. Go-Mootra like Hindu culture are right which so called modern-youth will realize on US endorsement like Ayurved and yog. Yog became acceptable when US termed Yoga
I am an indian i live in a hindusthani system where caste discrimination is a part of our lives daily system and iam ashamed of it. but I think the mass in india(bharat) perhaps want to end this evil but the mass in hindusthan a largest populated are the owners of various discriminations , i think its like EITHER KILL(discrimate) OR GET KILLED(discriminated)is the main source of their living!!! millons of people insearch of equality and respectful life got converted thier religion but still this blody caste discrimination constantly hunt them till they are graved or buried.I think instead of religious converstion people should think of geting converted from hindusthani to human INDIA, these blody hindusthani system can provide every village a religious place to worship but cant provide TOILETS to the inhabhitants what a shame, i think they should demolish all the relgious places and build toilets and public service points or just distribute to the poorest people around
Ramesh,I am sure you are not one of those Ramesh's or Romesh's who regularly contaminate this forum with their bigotry of BJP kind. Or you are one of them who had got his non-functional brain transplanted with the one that can think right. What ever it is, I would say we need lot more Indians like you who can think and let their outrage about the hypocracy of certain aspects of Indian way of life known. Now be prepared to be called Paki or traitor by the bunch of idiots who think only they have devine right to define Hinduism and India.
Discrimination will never vanish untill these backward communities want to call themselves backward & try to encash on it with appeasing government at centre.Untill they come out of this mindset,selfpity nothing can improve there condition.The world will even more look them down.
I am not supporter of caste system. But I wonder in a place where there are several bias, is caste system is the only one which gets all discredit and there by invite harsh comments against Indians as a whole. There are several bad practices in every religion,region and population. They can not be removed overnite. Why two sects of same religion fight like hell all around the world ? Why two differently colored human are not able to lead peaceful co-existence ? So don't throw mud just because of stray incidents. If you are capable ,try to find answers instead of raising hatred further.
Where ever Indians go they take their evil systems. Indians can not be reformed, the character of a cobra can be changed but not of a Indian.
yes my frend i think cobra or any animal attack hunters for their self defance but these hindus they attack or discrimate other beause they are real insane in their beliefs
Is that other religions free of casteism?Other religions doesnt even acknowledge existance of other faith & preaches fanaticisim unlike Hinduism.
Why is YD assumed to be a Muslim. He may be just another proud Indian like me who is extemely bitter about certain aspects of his Indian way of life and is letting the steam off to keep his/her insanity intact. I could easily have written what YD wrote.
There good and bad in all the religions. Hindu being no exception. Lets accept that caste system is blight in our religion.
Old habits die hard...and that is why it is hard to change future of India. We can't always blame Babu's-Politicians-Criminals(ofcourse it is different to distinguish between them most of the time), when we as an Individual are neck deep in practicing casteism/regionalism adversely. This is not only in UK..In India also one can see it across organisations be it public or private.
The only solution to this menace is to split india into independent countries so these incidences are checked against castes and minorities. The filthy habits of hindus like deescrimination, couw urine drinking, sheet bathing are rampent which needs to be banned.
Raj Thackrey (The Pakistani wannabe Hindu) , You mental midget, How will you check 'incidences against castes and minorities' by dividing India? Pakistan has its own Muslim caste system ...Sindi Muslim, Punjabi Muslim, Ahmedia, Bohris, Ismailis etc etc whom you defecate at. Why are the menial and the dirty jobs done by so called 'low caste Muslims' in Pakistan, if you paks done belive in the caste system. By the way, why have you taken up a Hindu identity???? obviously you are dying to be a Hindu. But that won't help you will remain a jealous and an envious Pakistani and that makes you into the lowest 'caste' world citizen.
Mr Raj Thackrey - please tell us what is your religion.
Caste-By-Birth and descrimination are unjust systems and to be abolished. But as far as caste systems areby characteristics and with equality they are good for social health. In Indian culture there was a caste system with no descrimination which indicated individuals's inclination like some strong and fearless were kshatriya, those inclined to arts and scholars were brahmins and so on. Even in Geeta(adhyay-4), it is said that this world is made of 4 varnas by individual's karma. It is nowhere stated that this is to be descriminative. Hindu not being a religion but a way of life, as it does not have sansthapak like others, has been the most changing community. They had changed with introduction of caste-by-birth hundreds of years back and also changed for good by abolishing unjust-customs with women. So caste system will slowly go when quota-based-on economic status is strictly implemented. Also 90% customs of Hindu culture are right like go-mootra and all. The so called modern-youth in India will realize its significance when US/US endorse it like what has happened with Ayurved. Yog also became popular when US/UK people followed it with the name 'Yoga'.