Ottawa (AsiaNews) – The Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) has officially recognised caste discrimination under the province’s Human Rights Code.
In a press release last week, the OHRC said its aim was to recognise people’s rights and legal obligations. This move will allow members of lower and oppressed castes to turn to the courts in case of discrimination in that province.
Caste discrimination is a traditional practice in South Asia, especially India, whereby people are assigned their social status at birth.
Recently, the California legislature voted in favour of a bill that bans caste bias. Also, recently Canada and India have found themselves in a diplomatic spat.
The OHRC’s decision comes in response to a petition from the Toronto District School Bard, which seven months ago asked the OHRC to provide a framework to deal with caste-related discrimination within public education.
The Commission outlined what the caste system is and its impact on people's lives and then explained what the Ontario Human Rights Code covers and its limitations.
Although recognition is an important step for members of the Dalit community (once called "untouchables" or outcastes), according to some, there is still much to be done.
It is “good to know that Canada, which is known for defending human rights, is joining the United States and the United Kingdom in passing a law against caste discrimination," said Fr Z. Devasagaya Raj, speaking to AsiaNews.
“It is sad that Indians carried with them the caste [system] wherever they migrated along with other cultural practices,” lamented the clergyman, a former secretary of the Office of Scheduled Castes-Backward Classes of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India.
“Seeing the way how other countries treat people with equality and dignity they should have shed away the caste mindset,” he added.
“Though the caste system is connected with Hinduism it has become a social reality and, irrespective of religion, people are discriminated on the basis of caste.” In fact, “Christians and Sikhs also face the same problem in European and North American countries.”
Thus, the ruling “is welcome and it will protect the vulnerable people in Canada where Dalits want to be recognised for their education and talents.”
