A Hindu-American think tank has filed a complaint against Rutgers University in New Jersey after a report by the institute’s task force alleged “caste-based discrimination” in the country’s higher education system.
The task force’s report ‘Caste Based Discrimination in US Higher Education at Rutgers’ follows the precedent of previous attempts, “perpetuating the unscientific, unproven caste discrimination narrative entirely based on flimsy anecdotal hearsay,” the think tank said.
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CasteFiles, the advocacy group, filed the complaint against Rutgers University and Professor Audrey Truschke, co-chair of the task force, under title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which guarantees a right to education free from harassment and discrimination.
The think tank alleged in a press release on Tuesday that students at the Rutgers University, a large number of who are Indian-Americans and Indian nationals, have been deprived of their right to an education free from harassment and discrimination.
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Known for its work on caste system, the think tank is concerned that this caste report, released last month, follows the precedent of previous attempts, “perpetuating the unscientific, unproven caste discrimination narrative entirely based on flimsy anecdotal hearsay,” the media release said.
According to CasteFiles, the task force admits that there is no systematic data at Rutgers, in New Jersey, or across the US to prove that Hindu Americans discriminate based on caste.
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“Five flimsy anecdotal testimonies are the basis for the task force’s recommendation for Rutgers to add caste as a protected category to its non-discrimination policy,” it alleged.
“It is questionable why a university would violate equal treatment clauses to release a report that relies on flimsy anecdotes – especially when it has a large population of Indian-origin students on campus and no data to support evidence of caste discrimination,” said Richa Gautam, CasteFiles founder.
“Rutgers University may be a habitual offender according to research conducted by Abhijit Bagal, Director of CasteFiles. He emphasised Rutgers University’s failure to protect its students from discrimination and harassment, referencing several recent complaints and lawsuits that highlight the university’s shortcomings,” the media release said.
