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For those who think caste-based discrimination is somehow worse in corporate America, here’s a thread on caste and corporate India. https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2020/06/30/business/30reuters-cisco-lawsuit.html#:~:text=It%20states%20he%20has%20been,%2C%20once%20called%20%22untouchables.%22
Caste in Indian workplaces is alive and well. It is ridiculous to think that a 3000-year old hierarchy will not rear its ugly head into a ‘merit-based’ bubble such as the corporate. How is it possible for Indians to suddenly become caste-less when they enter the corporate space?
One of the biggest indicators of caste is how there are hardly any Dalits in white collar jobs or senior management positions in India’s private sector. This article from 2016 is a good primer to to understand this better: https://www.fortuneindia.com/ideas/caste-why-its-still-an-issue-for-india-inc-/100264
India’s corporate culture is a product of its constituents, which is 95% brahmin-baniya. This means, recruitment that happens via referrals, will only bring in more brahmins and baniyas, because employees are dipping into their social circles that are already caste-based.
Hiring managers and recruiters are, subconsciously or even consciously, looking for people that are similar to them, ergo from relatable caste backgrounds. There’s also a huge bias against Dalits in general, which gets translated into
assumptions about language proficiency (bad english) and performance (quota candidate), or judgments on affiliations, food choices, and socio-religious markers. These perceptions have real-life implications for Dalits such as being passed over for opportunities or promotions.
Secondly, growth within an organisation is almost impossible if you don’t network. And at the heart of networking is likeability. How can a casteist society like ours, ridden with an obsession for savarna beauty, lifestyle, and status symbols, like someone who’s Dalit?
Ideally, social capital should not be allowed to determine professional growth. For disenfranchised communities, social capital is neither an existing asset nor is it easily acquirable. To say, networking will get you a job, is like saying, if you’re rich you’ll get more money.
Thirdly, most Indian corporates don’t have a policy that explicitly states caste-based discrimination will not be tolerated at the workplace, including casteist slurs and remarks. Codes of conduct do make a mention of race, gender, disability, and others, but not caste.
It is safe to say that most D&I professionals in India are at present either unaware of how caste operates or are clueless on what to do about it. This is partly because D&I initiatives are also being led by caste-privileged individuals that are not at the receiving end
Here are a few other articles to read: https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/why-inclusion-policies-corporate-world-must-talk-about-caste-87312
