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Press Release
CasteWatchUK
under attack from Hindu Council UK for leading Equality
Campaign
Tuesday, 11 March 2008
Source:
http://www.freepressreleases.co.uk/
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 caste
situation in 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 UK, have proved all “Hindu Theories” wrong.
Given equal opportunities in education, 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 Hindu Council has chosen
not to recognise this phenomenon, learn from it and it and
make use of these success stories to educate ill-informed
Hindus in India and here in 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 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 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 UK in taking appropriate actions to root out this social
evil from British Society before it is too late. Our
communities in UK consider themselves to be fortunate and
liberated and it feels great to be living in a free, fair,
civilised and best democracy in the world. We are sure that
you would agree with us on this, otherwise most of the members
of 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 UK. We are
confident that your support to our cause would demonstrate to
Hindus in 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 caste system across the world.”
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