Caste law in mind, Hindu body backs Conservatives
Tuesday, 05/05/2015
http://paper.hindustantimes.com/epaper/viewer.aspx
LONDON: An umbrella organisation representing Hindu temples in Britain on Monday asked members of Hindu, Sikh and Jain communities to support the Conservative party due to its stand on the sensitive issue of outlawing caste-based discrimination.
Since 2008, efforts to bring ‘caste’ within the purview of Britain’s anti-discrimination laws have passionately divided the Indian community. The issue has dominated debates and discussions in temples and gurdwaras in the run-up to Thursday’s elections.
A range of organisations – including the National Council of Hindu Temples UK (NCHTUK) – have opposed enacting the law, lobbying ministers and MPs against it as the House of Commons and House of Lords debated various amendments and provisions over the years.
The Labour and Liberal Democrats parties support moves to enact the law, while the ruling Conservative party has accepted the position of the various groups opposing it, and has blocked or delayed legislation in the current parliament.
Caste-based discrimination is not prohibited under UK equality legislation, but section 9 of the Equality Act 2010 requires the government to introduce secondary legislation to make caste an aspect of race, thereby making caste discrimination a form of race discrimination. The government has provisionally indicated that this legislation will be introduced in parliament during summer 2015.
Satish Sharma, general secretary of NCHTUK, said in an open letter on elections: “The Conservative Party is the only party whose members are committed to repealing the caste amendment if re-elected”.
Dalit communities in Britain are estimated to be 4,80,000 strong, and according to two reports they faced discrimination in education, employment and the provision of public goods and services. Several organisations have campaigned in support of a law banning castebased discrimination.
The NCHTUK letter said the organisation agreed with the sentiment that “British Hindus, Sikhs & Jains voting for Labour is now like Turkeys voting for Christmas”.
The letter said that the legislation was introduced without consultation with the targeted religious minority, which was “tantamount to religious persecution of Hindus, Sikhs & Jains and is in breach of the human rights of the minority Dharmic communities”.
