Controversial plans to introduce a Caste Discrimination Law re-entered Parliament last week.
Lord Harries of Pentregarth, who introduced the plans last year against the wishes of the Government, raised a question in the House of Lords about when the Government intends to amend the Equality Act 2010 to include caste.
Responding on behalf of the Government, Baroness Williams said that whilst the Government “oppose caste discrimination” did not commit to amending the Equality Act and noted that there was potentially “an existing legal remedy for claims of caste-associated discrimination under the ethnic origins element of Section 9 of the Equality Act 2010.”
Responding to Lord Harries’s question, Lord Popat voiced strong concerns against the amendment, stating that, “the vast majority of the British Hindu and Sikh community are outraged at this amendment to the Equality Act.
He went on to ask “Does the Minister agree with the Hindu organisations that implementing this amendment would be a blow to community cohesion in this great country and that the Government should legislate to remove it from the statute book?”
Speaking exclusive to Asian Voice, Lord Popat said “I’ve never known the British Indian community be so opposed to a change in the law. So many people cannot understand why this change has come about; discrimination by caste is something that has rightly been left behind and to try and make it a factor in 21st century Britain seems utterly outrageous.”
However a number of Peers spoke out in favour of the implementing the caste discrimination amendment included Lord Desai, Baroness Flather and Lord Singh.
In response to the opposition against the amendment, Baroness Flather said, “If there is no caste discrimination then fine…But because they are fighting so hard, it leads me to believe that there is discrimination.”
Lord Singh argued that, “the whole Sikh community and the whole thrust of Sikh teachings are totally against the notion of caste.”
