Category Archives: Uncategorised
Caste-based discrimination yet to be addressed clearly
8th December 2025
DSN UK shares this inhuman action in India as reported by Laura Roberts ETI.
The Government of India formally announces the implementation of the Four Labour Codes
The Government of India has formally announced the implementation of the Four Labour Codes: Code on Wages (2019), Industrial Relations Code (2020), Code on Social Security (2020) and Occupational S… Read more
Laura Roberts
Collective Action Officer, Ethical Trading Initiative
Minister for Women and Equalities Responds to Question on Equality Act 2010
18th November 2025
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade) Justin Madders submitted a written question to Minister of Women and Equalities Seema Malhotra about whether she will implement the power under section 9(5)(a) of the Equality Act 2010 to make caste a protected characteristic.
In response, MP Malhotra stated, “The government is considering whether these existing remedies offer appropriate legal protection for victims of caste discrimination.”
Read more here.
(This picture of MP Seema Malhotra has been sourced from her Facebook page.)
Welcoming Programme Officer DSN UK
12th August 2025
DSN UK is extremely pleased to welcome on board MS Chandni Sai Ganesh as our Programme Officer. She has begun her role from 1st August 2025.
Chandni completed MA in Gender and Development at the Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex. A research scholar, she studies caste, gender, diaspora, and abolition. She also co-leads the Brighton Ambedkar Reading Circle and facilitates groups with the mental health organisation Hank Nunn Institute, India.
Her grandparents migrated from Kerala, India, to the United Arab Emirates, where she was born and raised. In her free time, she writes letters to prisoners and supports refugees in Brighton.
A heartfelt thanks to the officers and the Board Members for approving this recruitment and a very special thanks to Prof Corinne our former Vice Chair and Ms Lavanya Pallapi our Trustee for joining me on the panel in the Recruitment Process.
We wish Chandni all the very best as she continues to serve DSN UK in this capacity as the Programme Officer.
Dr Elizabeth Joy
Director, DSN UK
Historic ruling, no more fooling
23rd July 2025
DSN UK hopes this will spread worldwide
DSN UK rejoices as the U.S. Federal Court Delivers Landmark Judgment Affirming Civil Rights for the Caste Oppressed. We hope justice will be brought to every corner of the world where people bear the brunt of Caste-based Discrimination and wait for justice for centuries together.
Annapurna Waughray, a long time friend of DSN UK and Professor of Human Rights Law, Manchester Metropolitan University says, ““On 18 July California’s District Court (Eastern District) held that the Plaintiffs, HAF (represented by former CISCO employees Kompella and Iyer) and a group of individual plaintiffs, lack legal standing on the grounds they assert to pursue their claim against California CRD (represented by its director Kevin Kish) in federal court, and are refused further leave to amend.
In its discussion on the Plaintiffs’ claim of violation of the Free Exercise clause of the First Amendment and its finding of lack of standing pursuant to this clause, the court commented on the illogicality of the Plaintiff’s claim that CRD’s enforcement action against CISCO is injurious to Hindus and Hinduism, noting that CRD is taking action against caste discrimination, which the Plaintiffs maintain is conduct contrary to their religious convictions and which they do not engage in.”
Read the full article on U.S. Federal Court’s Landmark Judgment here.
Inclusion of Caste as a Category in the Equality Act 2010
14th July 2025
As we reflect on DSN UK’s response to Equality law call for evidence which was submitted on 28th June 2025, we realise more that unless caste is included as a protected category in the UK’s Equality Act 2010, there is very little hope to experience equality for the South Asian Diaspora especially from India in UK. The diaspora remains to be divided based on the age old caste pyramid structure for more than 2500 years. However, Dr Elizabeth Joy feels there is hope in a few MPs like Warinder Juss (Time to outlaw caste discrimination – MP | Dalit Solidarity Network), and Nadia Whittome asking ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, if she will make caste-based discrimination illegal, and Minister Seema Malhotra speaking out, saying, “No one should suffer prejudice or discrimination on any grounds, including any perception of their caste.” raise our hope in combating Caste Based Discrimination (CBD) here in the UK. The intensity of the negative impact due to CBD in India which is reflected as a mirror image here in UK. Recently, on 2nd July, the voice heard powerfully from Lord Richard Harries, Chair of APPG for Dalita and Adivasis, along with Warinder Juss MP and others at the Portcullis House on ‘Why the UK must ban caste discrimination’ organised by Anti Caste Discrimination Alliance (ACDA) which Dr Elizabeth Joy the Director of DSN UK attended enables the stakeholder group to march forward in hope.
Dr Elizabeth Joy
https://www.ft.com/content/b0a7eb5e-2f03-4855-81ea-3d8fd07e4b26
You’re Invited
30th June 2025
Informal Meet & Greet with Prachi Patankar Tomorrow, 1st July 2025
We are pleased to invite you to an informal community meet and greet with renowned anti-caste activist Prachi Patankar, who is visiting London this week.
📅 Date: Tuesday, 1st July 2025
🕖 Time: 7:00 PM onwards
📍 Venue: Dr Ambedkar Hall
At Dr Ambedkar Centre
12 Featherstone Road, Southall, UB2 5AA
( Please enter the premises via Rear Entrance )
This gathering offers a unique opportunity to engage in an open discussion with Prachi about her work and reflections on contemporary anti-caste and social justice movements in the United States and the United Kingdom.
All are welcome. Come with your thoughts, questions, and curiosity.
Let’s connect, listen, and learn together.
Community Outreach programme organised by Ambedkarite peoples in UK
DSN UK is proud to be a part of this event.
DSN UK participates in NSS event in Leicester
16th June 2025
Dr Elizabeth Joy, the Director DSN UK was a panellist at the Leicester event on 10th June 2025 speaking on the work of DSN UK: the Everyday Casteism project providing a platform in the DSN UK website for people to register Caste Based Discrimination within the UK, along with Business and Human Rights focussing on Caste in the global supply chain, inclusion of caste in the EDI Charter in the Higher Educational Institutions in the UK. She also mentioned about the pro=legislation stakeholder group lobbying with the UK Government to include caste as a protective characteristic in the Equality Act UK 2010. Megan Manson who chaired the Panel on Why we should speak about caste discrimination in the UK nailed the importance of addressing caste concerns and issues to be brought to the centre of discussions to raise our voices for Dalits deprived of Social Justice and Human Rights for more than 2000 years in India, Asia and the diaspora in the UK as well as across the world.
The panellists with the Chair Megan Manson and Amar on the Board of Directors from NSS.
Read more here.
DSN UK Welcomes Change: The Tamil Nadu government in India amends rules prohibiting caste discrimination in prisons
21st May 2025
DSN UK warmly welcomes the news item from The Hindu a prominent News paper that says’ “A sub-rule introduced in the Tamil Nadu Prison Rules, 2024, said manual scavenging or hazardous cleaning of a sewer or a septic tank inside a prison should not be undertaken, in line with the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013.” This amendment prohibits the question on caste on the form to be filled in the Prisons and Correction Centres in Tamil Nadu.
At a time when the current BJP government in India is trying to bring back the Descent based work that will promote employment based on caste which will hike caste based discrimination.
DSN UK is Recruiting a part-time Programme Officer
16th May 2025
DSN UK Endorses NSS’ Letter: Free speech and caste discrimination concerns
16th May 2025
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