CasteWatchUK and Dalit Solidarity Network UK, have been targeted by Hindu Council UK using fabricated allegations in their report “The Caste System” authored by DR R P Sharma. The sole aim of this report seems to be derailing the process of inclusion of “caste” in the single equality bill currently going through parliament. Mr Satpal Muman, Chairman and Mr Davinder Prasad, General Secretary of CasteWatchUK in their joint statement express their resentment and condemn Hindu Council UK for the accusations in its report that “CasteWatchUK’s intention appears to be to make money and create further divisions in society” whereas in fact the opposite is the case. “The HCUK by presenting the Statement from the Shri Guru Valmik Sabha Southall are guilty of mischief and the Sabha is guilty of a collusion”.
HCUK has tried to justify its position on the foundations of the Caste System with respect to their religion, accept that it plays an important part in regulating the social life of the Indian Diaspora in Britain and has also acknowledged its global implications by including Christianity, Islam, and Sikhism as the other infected religions. The report has a Brahminist bias and attempts to lay the blame for the incipient form of Caste Practices at the feet of foreigners - foreign invasions and foreign agencies. This is not the first time this argument is presented where foreigners are blamed for the country’s ills. However, the report is extremely low on admitting that the Hindus had anything to do with the Caste System despite ample evidence to the contrary found in the Hindu Sacred Literature. The Report manifestly contradicts itself in numerous places. HCUK report also over-emphasises the fact “giving priorities to Dalit means those from higher castes are now complaining that even if they score highly in their entrance exams, they cannot get places”. This statement has no relevance to the caste situation in the UK and serves no purpose other than importing caste prejudice and casteist euphoria from India into the minds of young British Asians in this country. “Younger generations of communities, that are victims of caste discrimination in the UK, have proved all “Hindu Theories” wrong.
Given equal opportunities in education, the right environment to learn and availability of financial means, they have demonstrated that they can achieve new heights in their lives without any reservation in schools, universities or employment. It is very worrying that the Hindu Council has chosen not to recognise this phenomenon, learn from it and make use of these success stories to educate ill-informed Hindus in India and here in the UK”. CasteWatchUK has also been accused by HCUK of misleading the political classes in Britain which imply that political classes are gullible. “It is very unfortunate and makes us feel sad that decades of exposure to British values has not been able to rid the rigid mind set of members of the Hindu Council UK of caste prejudice.”
CasteWatchUK in its response through a letter to Dr J C Sharma, Chairman and Director of Human Rights, has suggested that HCUK needs to reconsider their position on caste discrimination in the UK. “Instead of pointing blaming fingers at others, we urge you to join us, the victim communities, the host community, politicians, social institutions and academics in the UK in taking appropriate actions to root out this social evil from British Society before it is too late. Our communities in the UK consider themselves to be fortunate and liberated and it feels great to be living in a free, fair and civilised democracy. We are sure that you would agree with us on this, otherwise most of the members of the Hindu Council UK would not be living here. Please support us in our efforts to get the legislation on equality amended and to make caste discrimination unlawful in the UK. We are confident that your support of our cause would demonstrate to Hindus in the UK and around the world that we are all equals and would be a giant step in ensuring that people feel proud to be Hindus. It would also send signals all over the world that time has come for a global action to put an end to centuries of disadvantages and oppression faced by lower caste Hindus in the name of the caste system across the world.”
Contact:
www.castewatchuk.org
CasteWatchUK
e-mail: info@castewatchuk.org
Telephone: 07891058712
