After Seattle, Toronto school board recognises Hindu caste discrimination in Canada

Ottawa: After the ban on caste-based discrimination in Seattle, the issue is now heating up in Toronto, Canada, where one faction is opposing racial discrimination but the other faction is against such a ban. Seattle last month became the first U.S. city to ban racial discrimination.

Meanwhile, Toronto’s school board has become first school in the county after it recognised that caste discrimination exists in the city’s schools.

The proposal on racial discrimination was placed before the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) for discussion, but the board sent it to the Ontario Human Rights Commission for review on March 8.

Earlier, Indian-American leader Kshama Sawant, an upper-caste Hindu, had moved a resolution to include caste in the no-discrimination policy in the Seattle City Council, which has been passed. Sawant’s proposal was passed by the Seattle House i.e. city council with six votes to 1.

The outcome of this vote can have far-reaching implications on the issue of caste-based discrimination in the US.

Seattle City Councillor Sawant said, “If there is a ‘yes’ response to the proposal, it would be in the interest of all school students in Toronto,” he said in a letter to members.

Students may experience caste discrimination in a variety of ways in the educational environment. They may face casteist slurs, discrimination in the social and online environment, etc.

On the other hand, the Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA), which is opposing the proposal, said that it is being opposed by the Canadian South Asian community due to the marking of one community.

A media release here states that with the help of CoHNA Canada, people in the community have sent more than 21,000 emails to the board’s trustees and made several phone calls. Agitators protested against the proposal outside the TDSB office in North York.