Muristek
Faculty opposes 'caste category' in US varsity's anti-discriminatory policy
Washington, January 24
Over 80 faculty members of the prestigious California State University have opposed a recent announcement of the university to include caste in its non-discriminatory policy as a "misguided overreach", saying it will actually cause discrimination by unconstitutionally singling out Hindu faculty of Indian and South Asian descent.
According to the anti-discrimination policy recently announced by the California State University (CSU), caste-oppressed students will now be able to report anti-Dalit bias, which many students claim is a regular occurrence.
Indian descent people at risk
We cannot but oppose the unique risk that CSU's move puts on us as they add a category that is only associated with people of Indian descent... It is going to create divisions where they simply do not exist. —Praveen Sinha, Accountancy prof at CSU
Discrimination because of one's caste status has been outlawed in India, but the practice continues, even in South Asian diasporas in the US, it said.
In a blistering letter to the CSU Board of Trustees opposing the move, the faculty members have stated that the new policy would unfairly target a minority community for policing and disparate treatment.
Adding caste as a specific and separate protected category would apply only to the faculty of Indian and South Asian descent, they said. "The addition of caste is a misguided overreach given the existence of comprehensive policies that already protect against various forms of discrimination" said Praveen Sinha, professor of accountancy at CSU, Long Beach.
"This policy change has been made in the absence of any scientifically reliable evidence or data. Rather than redressing discrimination, it will actually cause discrimination by unconstitutionally singling out and targeting Hindu faculty of Indian and South Asian descent as members of a suspect class because of deeply entrenched, false stereotypes about Indians, Hindus and caste," said Sunil Kumar, professor of engineering at the San Diego State University. —