Dr Pradeep Taneja recalls walking into a petrol station at a Melbourne suburb when a compatriot, who was working at the counter, asks him his name. On revealing just his first name, he gets asked, “But what is your surname?”
If you are a non-Indian or even a non- South Asian, the short conversation does not hit any meaning. But Taneja knew the compatriot wanted to know his surname to determine his caste.
This exchange exemplifies how deeply ingrained the caste system is in Indian culture, and as Dr Vikrant Kishore, academic and filmmaker, notes, “Caste goes where South Asians go.”
Like many others, Taneja, who is Deputy Associate Dean—International (India) at the University of Melbourne, acknowledges that caste is a reality in India but even when outside India, the mindset that harbours the reality of caste continues to prevail.
“When people migrate, they carry with them not just their education, skills, and aspirations but also deep-seated bias and prejudices which they have been socialised in,” adds Malini Sur, Associate Professor of Anthropology, School of Social Sciences, Western Sydney University.
Interesting then that as California readies to become the first US state to outlaw caste discrimination, it raises the question of how this development could impact parallel discussions in Australia, where the Indian community is the fastest growing demographic.
To better understand the impact of caste discrimination on the Indian community in Australia, it’s important to first understand the nature and prevalence of caste in South Asia.
As Sur explains, “Caste is a significant system of social stratification that is prevalent in South Asia. Though associated mostly with India and Hinduism, it is also common to varying degrees in Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. Furthermore, religions which have historically and formally decried caste such as Christianity, Sikhism, and Islam are also known to follow forms of hierarchy and caste discrimination.”
In her book Caste, Isabel Wilkerson concisely characterises caste as a man-made social order created to rank the worth of certain groups of people. This hierarchy is based on the perceived superiority of one group and the assumed inferiority of others, determined by factors such as ancestry, personal qualities, religion, or financial status.
And as we continue to navigate conversations around caste discrimination, screen producer Ravi Chand cautions, “Caste is a complex subject matter and requires careful consideration of the lens through which we view it. Often, western social justice perspectives are applied without delving deeply enough into the complexities of its origins. Additionally, the presumption that caste is solely a Hindu-based system is incorrect, as the word “casta” has Portuguese origins brought in through colonialism and exacerbated by British rule.”
He adds, “The movement of people calling for caste-based discrimination have also gone on to say caste discrimination is the purpose of Hinduism, so to eradicate caste discrimination, you have to eradicate Hinduism itself. There is so much misinformation and bigotry that exists. There needs to be further education on how current laws already address discrimination.”
Importantly, is Australia seeing incidents of caste discrimination?
The prevalence of caste discrimination in Australia is well-documented, says Kishore, who is also currently an Associate Professor at the University of Nottingham, and an Honorary Fellow of Deakin University.
“Over the years, the mainstream media such as ABC and SBS have reported many instances of caste-discrimination, from being abused on caste-basis, being served food last in a social gathering, forming dominant caste-based groups, excluding marginalised caste people in social activities, to the wide-spread use of casteist slurs.
“As an outsider, or from a different cultural setting, one might not be able to discern caste discrimination easily, but it is there certainly in Australia,” says Kishore.
He adds, “You just need to go to Facebook and search for caste-based groups. You will find multiple high-caste based groups—flaunting their caste-based identity, casteist practices, and often deriding, and abusing people from the marginalised communities.”
The rhetoric for caste discrimination in Australia may still be nascent but it does not necessarily reflect the absence of the problem.
The Australian Human Rights Commission in its National Anti-Racism Framework Scoping Report (2022) consulted widely with stakeholders, including the public, experts, and government at all levels to develop a Framework.
The Scoping Report makes the point clearly that caste can shape domestic and family violence for lower caste women even after migration through factors such as restricted decision-making autonomy, lower social and economic status, and their partner’s alcohol consumption.
There is also a lack of legal mechanisms to hold perpetrators accountable. Casteism also creates boundaries for personal relationships, as seen in the Australian dating app Dil Mil, which includes a filter option for top tier caste groups to find matches within their own caste while excluding lower caste groups, the Report further notes.
In line with this, Kishore highlights the urgency of including caste discrimination in all policy matters concerning discrimination, diversity, equity, and inclusivity.
“Although Australia provides its citizens with freedom and protection from discrimination, the presence of historical and social forms of discrimination, such as caste must not be ignored,” says Kishore.
According to Taneja, if there is a growing number of complaints received by Australian courts and human rights commissions across different states, it would signify a need for action.
However, enacting a law is more complicated than suggested.
Says Taneja, “Before enacting legislation against caste discrimination, there is a need for education to raise awareness and understanding of the issue. But the process of education can be challenging. Caste is not well understood even in India let alone in a country like Australia.
“If mainstream media have debates about caste over a sustained period, it will make many Indians uncomfortable. But if you are going to legislate, that would be necessary.”
Sur underscores the need for working closely with councils and community leaders to ensure awareness and clear safeguards are in place, particularly in settings such as work, housing, and social gatherings. She notes tackling caste discrimination is a complex task, given its multi-faceted nature, and will require a concerted effort from all levels of society.
No doubt caste discrimination requires a multifaceted approach to address its complexity. Kishore and his colleagues have taken an important step by submitting a scoping report to the Australian Human Rights Commission, highlighting the need for education, awareness-raising, and data collection to tackle this issue.
The conflation of caste with discrimination, wherein the nuances and complexities of caste-based discrimination are overlooked, can be stifling. It remains to be seen how Australia will open the floor for conversations.
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