You may have recently come across news about discrimination based on caste in Silicon Valley companies and affluent neighborhoods in Seattle. To a non-Indian reader, caste discrimination may seem confusing and perplexing. As someone who has been a victim of caste-based discrimination and lives in a society with a caste system, I want to share my perspective and insights with you.

What is the Caste System?

Caste is a social hierarchy in which people are divided into different groups based on their social status, occupation, and ancestry. 

Historically, caste has been used to determine a person’s rights and privileges. This includes access to education, employment, and political power. The caste system has been criticized for being a form of segregation and oppression. It often results in discrimination against lower-caste individuals.

Caste in India is determined by birth and depends on your parents’ caste. There is nothing one can do to change their caste. Breaking free from this system can be a vicious cycle. Even as recently as 50 years ago, if you were born into a lower caste, your life path was often predetermined. And it’s very difficult to change.

In this society, you have one career for your entire life. If you deviate from the path set out for you in any way, you become an outcast. Your family will also be an outcast. Upper-caste people may even physically assault you.

Caste-based honor killings and fights between caste clans of different hierarchies are still common in India.

Ramayana is a Hindu epic that tells the story of Lord Rama, an avatar of Vishnu.

In the epic, Rama is celebrated for killing a Shudra (a lower caste person) for daring to learn the Vedas. Vedas are sacred texts in Hinduism and are only to be studied by the Brahmin caste.

This brutal act was necessary to maintain the caste system and prevent lower-caste individuals from gaining knowledge and power. To do so has been described as unnatural and even catastrophic to the order of things. The fact that a revered figure like Ram was celebrated for murdering a person of a lower caste for trying to learn shows how deeply ingrained caste discrimination is in Indian society.

In ancient times, punishments were prescribed for those committing such “unforgivable transgressions.” This included pouring molten metal into their ears. This specific punishment was handed down due to chanting mantras reserved only for higher caste people.

Who practices caste?

Caste Other religious sects in Kerala also practice it.

Kerala has a Christian community that predates the founding of the Vatican. This community mostly comprises converted upper-caste people from Orthodox Christian and Catholic Christian denominations.

Lower caste communities that converted to Christianity belong to the Latin Church. As such, the honor killings by Christian communities in Kerala are on par with those of upper-caste people of the Hindu faith. Incidents of caste-based discrimination by Christians against Christians who migrated out of India are also prevalent.

Reports of such incidents have come to light in the USA, UK, and other countries. The incidents of caste-based discrimination in Silicon Valley are of a more subtle nature that I have first-hand experience with.

My Experiences Within the Indian Caste System

My name is Anil, and I come from Kerala, one of the southernmost states in India.

I belong to the Ezhava community, classified as OBC (Other Backward Caste).

I consider myself fortunate to have been born in Kerala. If I had been born as a lower caste person in any other state in India, I would have been highly unlikely to have had the same opportunities.

Although I have not faced physical assaults or outright discrimination, I have faced obstacles due to my caste. Specifically, I have faced obstacles in my right to education and freedom of religion. I have been the victim of caste-based discrimination throughout my life. It all began when I went off to college.

I had been quite oblivious to most caste-based discrimination up to that point. This is because I hadn’t had the opportunity to interact with very many people outside my immediate social circles before then.

Getting to know upper-caste people.

Upper-caste people do not dare send their children to Government schools. These are schools funded by taxes, or what people in the USA call public schools. Instead, they send their children to private schools.

India’s founding fathers set up a caste-based Reservation system to prevent this inequality from happening in society. The Reservation system in India is a set of affirmative action policies in India that provide historically disadvantaged groups representation in education, employment, government, and politics.

Based on provisions in the Indian Constitution, the Union Government and the States and Territories of India set reserved quotas or seats, at particular percentages in Education Admissions, Employment, Political Bodies, Promotions, etc., for “socially and educationally backward citizens.”

Thanks to the reservation system, I had the opportunity to learn Computer Science and Engineering at a Government funded institution.

Upper-caste teachers & their treatment of students.

Most teachers in these institutions are upper-caste. It is a prestigious and cushy job that pays exorbitantly well. And they often harbor prejudices against students from less privileged communities. They insist that students from lower caste communities get into the school “easily and without studying.“

They regard most lower-caste students as having a lower intellect than upper-caste students. They do not consider that upper-caste students come from much more affluent backgrounds and have received impeccable schooling at private schools and coaching centers.

These teachers look down on the students who are there by their grit, unlike those whose paths were paved for them.

In many ways, not a lot has changed since the 1950s.

Despite the various movements that occurred in the 1950s, I was surprised to learn at a young age that my father’s generation, born in the late 1960s, was the first to gain access to the local temple for prayers. My surprise faded when I discovered this is true in many local temples in my neighboring state of Tamil Nadu.

Last month, I witnessed a live protest by lower-caste individuals turned away by an upper-caste theater owner. They were being turned away even though they had already paid their ticket fare.

More Subtle Discrimination

The Caste System is cross-cultural.

As you’ve already learned, caste is not practiced exclusively by Hindus in India. Other religions also practice the caste system. This includes followers of Abrahamic religions like Christians and Muslims.

But these groups are more subtle and careful not to display prejudices about caste overtly. It took me seeing things with my own eyes to understand this.

My first memory involves a Muslim family close to my own. One of the matriarchs from the Muslim family asked my uncle if he knew of any suitable matches for her daughter. He suggested a person who he knew himself. The gentleman was an accomplished engineer drawing a very large salary and running an entire enterprise.

Her family was Menons, an upper caste of Kerala, long before they converted to Islam. The gentleman hailed from a family descended from lower caste people who converted. She rejected the match and insisted that the relationship could not be because the gentleman was “not our kind.”

My brother and I have had different experiences.

My brother has a darker skin tone than me. This has led to situations where people don’t believe we are siblings. He has faced more discrimination than I have. People assume he belongs to a lower caste just by looking at him, which complicates things for my brother.

For instance, during interviews, employers may discriminate against him, which reduces his chances of success. He is less likely to get called back after an interview.

I have lighter skin compared to the average Indian person, which leads people to assume that I belong to an upper caste by default. Strangers ask me if I am an Eshava. And, I’ve been told, “I thought you were upper-caste like Nair, Menon, or Namboothiri.

I have heard this countless times since childhood. It has often worked to my advantage, as fair-skinned people are favored over darker shades in Indian society. This is no secret, and I have witnessed it repeatedly.

The Brain Drain

The people that were needed here headed West.

India’s Brain Drain refers to the emigration of highly educated and skilled individuals from India to other countries. They commonly emigrate to the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Brain drain signifies the cost to society over the large-scale migration of talented individuals to other countries. They left for better job opportunities, higher salaries, and better living conditions. 

The phenomenon began in the 1960s and has continued to the present day. However, many upper-caste people who migrated to the USA as part of the brain drain took the caste mentality with them. This led to caste-based discrimination in Silicon Valley and other tech hubs in the United States.

Upper-caste individuals experience disillusionment amidst the Brain Drain.

Reservation policies gave lower caste people freedoms they had never had before. This included working in the same spaces. But upper-Caste people find it demeaning and “beneath them” to work with a lower-caste person. And it is particularly offensive to have lower-caste individuals work beside them as colleagues who are ranked the same. And yet, they don’t have problems working for white men as they are, by their inherent colorist ideologies, “superior.”

As time has passed, many have become disillusioned with the empowerment of lower-caste people.

The current Government of India, a puppet of the Hindu right wing, has been trying to revert to old ways and view these policies as an inconvenience to them. For instance, they miss having housekeepers and maids from the lower caste they could exploit.

Right-wing politicians blamed the brain drain on the lower caste people to garner support. Yet lower-caste people do not have the power to make such drastic changes to the country. But it’s easier to blame marginalized people than those who leave the country rather than work with the lower caste people.

This has spread to tech too. Usually, the technical area is a place untouched by politics and instead by talent; but since tech has become a gold mine, the upper caste lobbyists have taken over it.

Tech is a space where liberalism is supposed to be at its zenith.

I have been a victim of caste-based discrimination within tech. Discrimination is usually subtle as these things can cause uproars in the state. I had the opportunity to take part in a conference, met up with some people, and hit it off. We could talk tech and had a blast. I was even invited to their secret community and group chat. This is extremely important as most of the hiring in tech is through networking.

Some days later, I was removed after I joined the aforementioned group chat. I could not for the life of me understand why I was removed. It bugged me as I had considered these people friends. I was confused, felt betrayed, and devoid of self-confidence. Was it because of anything I did? I could not figure it out.

Some time passed, and I met people with the same experiences. I learned that one thing we all shared in common was our undesirable background. That was when I realized what had gone wrong, leading to my rejection from the group. We had all been removed based on our caste instead of anything we did personally.

Usually, the technical area is a place untouched by politics and instead by talent. But since tech became a gold mine, the upper caste lobbies have also taken over it. 

Caste in America

Caste discrimination isn’t just limited to India.

You may have recently come across news about discrimination based on caste in Silicon Valley companies and affluent neighborhoods in Seattle.

The upper caste people who migrated to the USA took this caste mentality. That’s what happened at Cisco in Silicon Valley.

The Dalit are a lower caste group in India. Because of this, their work is regarded as subpar. They are considered to be less intelligent. Their work is never considered unbiased, so it’s never satisfactory.

Cisco is one of those companies notorious in India for hiring only upper-caste people. If a lower-caste person is hired, they will not be there long. This is because their upper-caste superiors inevitably deem them “lesser.” They will never admit that a lower-caste person can be their equal.

For the upper caste, no matter how qualified we are, how many degrees we earn, or how many years of experience we have, we are still considered to be of lower intellect.

Caste Discrimination in Silicon Valley

A Cisco employee and engineer of Dalit Indian origin alleges discrimination at the company’s Silicon Valley headquarters.

Having a huge diaspora of Indian Americans, Silicon Valley has become a hotbed for caste system-based discrimination. Recently, a lawsuit was filed against Cisco Systems by the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing.

The Plaintiffs allege an engineer of Dalit Indian origin faced discrimination at the company’s Silicon Valley headquarters. It was claimed in the lawsuit that the engineer, who worked with Indian colleagues of higher caste, was subjected to discriminatory practices that were imported from the Indian caste system into the workplace.

Two supervisors, Sundar Iyer and Ramana Kompella, were named in the lawsuit for their alleged discriminatory and harassing behavior towards the employee.

The employee allegedly experienced lower pay, fewer opportunities, and retaliation when opposing unlawful practices. The lawsuit asserted that Cisco violated the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act.

Cisco, a major supplier of computer networking gear that makes the internet work, stated its commitment to an inclusive workplace.

It also intended to defend against the allegations in the complaint. Cisco declined to comment on the current status of Iyer and Kompella at the company and referred a reporter to LinkedIn. This is only one of the reported incidents of caste system-based discrimination in Silicon Valley. However, these incidents are not exclusive to Silicon Valley.

The Seattle Caste discrimination ban

On February 21, an unprecedented event unfolded in Seattle, marking a significant milestone for its Indian community.

Following extensive deliberation on proposed legislation presented by councilmember Kshama Sawant, the Seattle City Council voted 6–1 in favor, enacting the bill to prohibit discrimination based on caste within the city. This groundbreaking decision establishes Seattle as the first American city to explicitly recognize caste as a protected category under its civil rights laws.

Consequently, individuals residing in Seattle now possess the right to file complaints with the city’s Office of Civil Rights if they believe they have experienced unfair treatment in employment, promotions, or housing due to their caste, prompting an investigation into potential rights violations.

This bill expands existing civil rights law in Seattle that originally protected people along racial lines and eventually along religious, ethnic, gender, and sexuality lines against discrimination.

As these laws expand their protected categories, governments expand their civil rights offices to include experts on the new categories of discrimination. Lawyers who are experts in caste discrimination will likely join the city’s Office of Civil Rights, and other policy experts will begin creating guidelines for Seattle’s various public programs to ensure that they do not violate caste-oppressed people’s civil rights.

This was not met without resistance. The upper caste Hindu groups were very vocal in expressing their displeasure at the Bill.

The Hindu American Foundation (HAF) cites violations of religious freedom.

The American Hindu advocacy group, the Hindu American Foundation (HAF) asked for an injunction in Santa Clara County in support of Cisco and sued the California Department of Civil Rights, claiming that the lawsuit against Cisco violated Hindu Americans’ religious freedom, enshrined in the First Amendment of the United States Constitution.

Furthermore, their contention revolves around the assertion that legislation akin to Seattle’s would unjustly target Indian Americans and Hindu Americans, placing an unjustifiable onus on them to prove their non-casteist stance.

This argument, however, is devoid of factual and legal merit. It disregards the potential advantages a bill recognizing caste as a protected category can offer Indian and Hindu Americans who endure caste discrimination. Rather than acknowledging the presence and struggles of caste-oppressed individuals within these communities, the Hindu Right in America seeks to erase their political identities.

Legislation such as the Seattle bill, aimed at addressing caste discrimination, does not infringe upon Hindu Americans’ Constitutional right to religious freedom.

The bill does not impede their freedom to practice Hinduism, including conducting pujas, constructing temples with paid labor, or embracing a Hindu way of life. Rather, the focus of such legislation is to prevent discrimination based on caste, thereby safeguarding individuals from being targeted on that basis.

Christian fundamentalists in the United States have used the religious freedom argument to refuse service or even marriage licenses to same-sex couples in the years after the United States legalized same-sex marriage. Even before that, white supremacists refused service to interracial couples, again claiming that sexual relationships or reproduction between people of different ethnic groups was somehow a violation of their religious freedom.

Seattle’s legislation does not unfairly place an excessive burden on upper-caste Americans to prove their lack of caste prejudice. The bill does not require individuals to actively showcase their efforts in combating caste discrimination. Rather, it grants the Seattle City Office of Civil Rights the legal authority to assist residents in pursuing legal action against individuals who engage in discriminatory behavior based on caste.

As Council member Sawant said, “To say that protecting lower-caste Indian Americans against discrimination would target Indian Americans from other castes is like saying addressing racism against black and brown people would negatively affect white people.”

Conclusion

Caste-based discrimination is not just about class or income level. Caste-based discrimination also embodies colorism and the deeply ingrained idea of social hierarchy based on ancestry. 

It is a system that has been used to deny people their rights and privileges for centuries. Caste is a pervasive issue in India that affects millions of people. Caste-based discrimination is practiced within other religious communities in India, such as Christians and Muslims. It is not limited to Hinduism. It is still a prevalent issue today, both in India and abroad.

The caste system has historically been used to deny lower-caste individuals access to education, employment, and political power. It continues to hurt their lives today. The discrimination has also spread to other countries, including the United States, where it has been observed in Silicon Valley and other tech hubs. 

It is time for all of us, regardless of our caste, to unite and fight against this unjust system. If we believe in all people’s equal rights and self-determination, we must stand with those fighting against caste-based discrimination.

If you believe in the equal rights and right to self-determination of all people, please stand with us.

We hope you enjoyed this post and gained some perspective! To make you don’t miss a post and receive a copy of the monthly newsletter, subscribe here. You can also follow me on Instagram to keep in touch and stay informed!

• Instagram