Public event at Leicester Secular Hall to bring together campaigners and experts and explore solutions to caste discrimination.
THE ASIAN INDEPENDENT UK-
Caste systems are rooted in religious and cultural beliefs and are upheld in some Hindu and Sikh communities. Research has found evidence of caste discrimination and harassment in employment, education and in the provision of services.
There are an estimated 50,000 – 200,000 people in the UK who are regarded by some as ‘low caste’ (sometimes known as ‘dalits’) and are at risk of caste discrimination. But unlike discrimination based on race, sex, sexuality or religion or belief, caste discrimination is not explicitly prohibited in UK law.
The discussion will bring together campaigners and experts to explain how caste discrimination and prejudice affect the lives of people in the UK, and why laws against caste discrimination have been opposed by some religious groups. Several MPs have recently called for laws to protect people from caste discrimination, including Labour MP Warinder Juss.
Speakers will include Santosh Dass of the Anti Caste Discrimination Alliance, Elizabeth Joy from Dalit Solidarity Network UK, Caste Watch UK’s Sat Pal Muman, and Sahdaish Pall Bem of Sikh Women’s Aid.
The event will be held at Leicester Secular Hall on June 10th, in partnership with Leicester Secular Society (LSS). In 2023, LSS was threatened with police action by Hindu Council UK (HCUK) when it held a talk critical of the caste system in Hinduism. HCUK has been highly vocal in its opposition to anti-caste discrimination law.
The panel discussion will be free for members of the National Secular Society or Leicester Secular Society.
NSS: Attempts to silence criticism make caste discrimination “very difficult to tackle”
NSS head of campaigns Megan Manson said: “Caste discrimination is insidious and inexcusable. But lack of awareness of this issue, combined with attempts to silence criticism of religious attitudes which promote caste, mean it has been very difficult to tackle.
“With a new government in power, there have been renewed calls for legal protections against caste discrimination. This event aims to provide greater insight into the problem of caste discrimination and explore how we can work to end it for good.”
TICKETS – Caste in the UK: We need to talk about it
When: June 10th 2025, 6:30pm-7:45pm
Where: Leicester Secular Hall, 75 Humberstone Gate, Leicester LE1 1WB.
Tickets: £5 for non-members, free for members of National Secular Society or Leicester Secular Society. For security reasons, advance booking only will be accepted.
