DSN UK Holds Anti-Caste Advocacy Meeting Debriefing at Senate House

18th November 2025

Following the anti-caste advocacy meeting held at the House of Lords on 15 September 2025, DSN UK congregated with an intimate group of scholars, policymakers, and activists at the Senate House in London on 16 September 2025 to debrief and identify next steps.

The debriefing was chaired by Dr Shailesh Kumar, Lecturer in Law at Royal Holloway, University of London. The panel included: Dr Thol Thirumavalavan, Leader and President of Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi; Rt Rev Dr Anderson Jeremiah, Church of England; Amar, Director, Leicester Secular Society; and Aarti Rajput, Commonwealth Scholar at the Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex.

The four panellists and chair highlighted the interpersonal and institutional forms through which caste manifests in the UK, particularly across higher education. Closing with a rich discussion amongst the attendees, many of whom shared their lived experiences of caste discrimination in the UK, DSN UK determined a list of action items to pursue across the coming months. This includes working collaboratively with fellow anti-caste activists and collectives in the country as well as building partnerships with organisations combatting related forms of discrimination such as labour rights violations and gender violence.