Royal Assent Granted

Bill outlawing caste gets royal assent in UK

London, April 28
In a move that is likely to raise hackles in India, the Equalities Bill that prohibits discrimination on the basis of caste has received Royal Assent and is now an act of British parliament.
 
India’s position at international fora has always been that caste is not an aspect of race. It had succeeded in keeping caste out of the resolution adopted at the 2001 Durban conference on racism organised by the United Nations.
 
Now termed The Equalities Act 2010, the bill specifically mentions caste under the section Race. The bill had earlier been passed by both House of Lords and the House of Commons.
It says in Part 2, Chapter 1: “A Minister of the Crown may by order-(a) amend this section so as to provide for caste to be an aspect of race; (b) amend this Act so as to provide for an exception to a provision of this Act to apply, or not to apply, to caste or to apply, or not to apply, to caste in specified circumstances.”

The main provisions of the Act will come into force in October 2010, according to the Government Equalities Office.

Lekh Raj Pal of the Anti-Caste Discrimination Alliance (ACDA) termed the Royal Assent as a ‘historical achievement’ and said the Equalities Act 2010 “has no less importance than the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833.” He said: “It brings hope of some justice to the victims of caste discrimination who have until now suffered in silence.

Over the last 60 years the Asian diaspora has settled in the UK bringing their baggage of the caste system with them.” He added: “For many of the nearly two million Britons of Indian origin, caste continues to exert a powerful influence over their everyday lives.

— PTI

 

Source – http://www.tribuneindia.com/2010/20100429/world.htm#3