I was aware that the UK Government has difficulty with the concept of equality, but their handling of the Equality Act is beyond a joke.
The Coalition has, with the near total ignorance of the public, defeated an amendment to the Act that would have made widespread discrimination in the Hindu and Sikh communities on the basis of the notorious caste system illegal, as it already is in its country of origin, India. The rejection is on the spurious grounds that legislation would only make the plight of the lowest caste- ‘the untouchables’- worse. In doing so, Parliament has condemned a section of the community to years more of stigma and marginalisation on the basis of their genetic inheritance. Is this compatible with the values of a civilised, democratic society?
I wouldn’t claim for a moment that the Home Secretary wants to see people deemed inferior because of the social status of their ancestors: the Conservatives believe that it is merely your parents’ class which should determine your life chances! But seriously, it is thought that a softly, softly approach should be taken with extremists who happen to be from ethnic minorities. The logic seems to be that in order to defend the rights of this minority, some of its elite should be allowed to trample over the rights of its lower classes. This represents a tragic, indeed criminal, failure to protect the disadvantaged.
As Chuka Umunna said: “Every community group, every
faith group we [Labour] have spoken to, on
each side of this debate in recent days has been united in the belief
that caste discrimination has no
place in our country.” Put simply, it is only a fringe which supports the caste system. Everyone should be protected by the full force of the law against discrimination, and that should be the end of the matter.
