Time to outlaw caste discrimination - MP

The Equality Act should be amended to take caste discrimination into account, and a change to law floated 12 years ago finally implemented, a Wolverhampton MP has said.

The caste system, developed in India, divides people into separate groups based on birth, marriage and occupation.

Warinder Juss, Labour MP for Wolverhampton West, said amendments suggested in 2013 would have meant discrimination based on a person's caste was regarded in law the same as racial discrimination. However the changes were never enacted.

Mr Juss has called for a debate in Parliament on introducing the measure.

In 2013, the then coalition Business Secretary Vince Cable stated caste discrimination was to be outlawed in the UK.

Campaigners had argued legislation was needed because thousands of people suffered abuse and prejudice because they were considered low caste.

In the same year, after pressure in Parliament, the government initially offered legal protection to 400,000 Dalits - so-called "untouchables" - who lived in the UK and faced discrimination in Hindu and Sikh communities.

Five years later, in response to consultation, the then government decided against further legislation, instead relying on developments in case law - and faced criticism for the delays.

Juss said in the Commons on Thursday: "Does the leader of the House agree that caste discrimination is as bad as discrimination based on colour, nationality, ethnic or national origins, and will she therefore please agree to a debate in this house for the implementation of section 9(5) of the Equality Act so that caste discrimination can be specified to be a form of race discrimination."

Speaking in the Commons during Business Questions on Thursday, Commons leader Lucy Powell said: "I absolutely appreciate that caste discrimination can be incredibly damaging and pernicious.

"We take our obligations under the Equality Act very seriously indeed and I will ensure that [Juss] gets an update on where that's up to."

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