Ambedkar International Center

Last updated

Ambedkar International Center (abbr.AIC) is a civil rights advocacy group that was formed in 2012 to fight against caste discrimination in the United States. The organization's mission is to strengthen unity among scheduled castes (SCs), scheduled tribes (STs) and other backward classes (OBCs) living in the United States of America. [1] The organisation is named after the Indian social activist and caste reformer, Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar. [1] [2]

Contents

Caste is a birth based hierarchical system wherein people are divided into many endogamous groups doing hereditary occupation. [3] [4] As Yashica Dutta writes in the New York Times, Dalit, meaning oppressed, is a self-chosen identity for a quarter of India’s population who have been at the receiving end of centuries old systematic and institutionalised discrimination and disenfranchisement. [5]

Ambedkar International Center
Named after Babasaheb Ambedkar
FormationJune 2012
Type Nonprofit
Purpose"Establish intellectual, moral, and social democracy elements in every section of the Indian society, prevent and curb the plight of caste-based human rights violations to build a fairer, more egalitarian society based on the principles and philosophy of Dr. Ambedkar." [6]
Headquarters Accokeek, Maryland 20607 USA [6]
President
Sanjay Kumar [7]
Vice President
Rakesh G [7]
Website https://ambedkarinternationalcenter.org

Context

B. R. Ambedkar (1891-1956) Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar.jpg
B. R. Ambedkar (1891-1956)

A person's caste is determined at birth and that channels them into that caste's occupation. Dalits, who technically do the dirtiest jobs — cleaning sewers, taking away dead animals, tanning leather and other tasks that are considered to pollute a person. [8] In the United States as well, caste follows, [9] as a 2018 survey by Equality Labs reveals that 67% of Dalits in the Indian diaspora within the United States admitted to facing caste-based harassment at the workplace. [5] 25% of Dalits also reported facing verbal or physical assault based on their caste. [10]

Vision

Ambedkar International Center works for the emancipation of Dalits in the United States. [1] In a context where a majority of Indians living in the United States are upper-caste, [11] there are certain supremacist caste-Hindu practices such as a thread ceremony that is only for Brahmin men, promoting vegetarianism as a virtue and in effect demonizing the consumption of meat and other practices through which upper-caste Hindus establish their cultural presence as a community. [12]

This results in a bias towards a nostalgic and celebratory view of Hinduism. [13] Scholars such as Kancha Illiah have argued that Dalit practices do not fall within the umbrella of Hinduism, [14] and that Hindu practices have stemmed from the oppression of Dalit communities, where and all aspects of Dalit-Bahujan social life are denied respect. [15] [16]

According to AIC, caste is also downplayed within these Hindu practices, [13] as is clear from the argument a 'Hindu supremacist' organisation made in an injection in the Cisco caste discrimination case, that the State could not interfere in such matters, "effectively claiming impunity for bigotry in the name of religious freedom." [12] [17] [18]

History and organization

Ambedkar International Center is part of a coalition of American Ambedkarite Organizations which have been active in the anti-caste lobbying for over two decades in America. [19] The civil-rights organization [20] was formed in the United States in June 2012, to strengthen unity among scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and other backward classes. [1]

In May 2013, AIC acquired the 13.2 acre property near the capital of the USA, Washington DC, to establish the world's first Ambedkar International Center in the west. [21] [22] As per the organisation's website, the site was inaugurated by former Chief Justice of India Hon’ble K. G.Balakrishnan on 21 July 2013. [23]

The organization is run by an executive council that is elected every two years. As of September 2021, the current executive council was elected in February 2021. [1]

Executive council members

1. Ram Kumar, President

2. Archana G, Vice President

3. Dinesh S, Treasurer

5. Rakesh G, Board Member

6. Pradhnya K, Board Member

7. Prithi P, Board Member

8. Mahendra K, Board Member

Advocacy

As an American Ambedkarite organisation, Ambedkar International Center has been advocating for caste-issues that arise in the United States, [19] and has also protested against the murder of George Floyd. [24]

Cisco caste discrimination case

On 30 June 2020 the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing filed a lawsuit [25] in San Jose against Cisco Systems on behalf of an employee who alleged that he had been discriminated against on the basis of his caste. [26] On 2 March 2021 AIC approached the California Supreme Court to be admitted as an amicus curiae in the matter. [27] [28] [29] [30]

Sought UN's support for Bhima-Koregaon activists

Ambedkar International Center has been a prominent signatory amongst organisations and individuals that mounted concern over the alleged illegal detention of civil rights activists in India. [31] [32] [33] The organisations allege that the evidence against Anand Teltumbede, a prominent Indian scholar, has been fabricated and urged the United Nations to engage with the Government of India to immediately withdraw all charges against Dr. Teltumbde. [34]

Rohith Vemula's death

After Rohith Vemula, a notable dalit scholar died, AIC organised a protest in Boston, [35] [36] and was part of a protest in San Francisco. [37] The Ambedkar International Center was quoted by the Deccan Chronicle, saying that "Rohith’s death was a sad day for the Dalit movement." [35]

Covid relief

AIC-funded initiatives organised medical camps and online awareness programs in over 50 locations in remote rural and slum areas in 10 states of India. [38] AIC also facilitated the procured of oxygen concentrators, which were shipped to Chandrapur in Maharashtra. [39]

Banning caste discrimination

Seattle became the first city in the United States to ban caste-based discrimination, as council members voted in February 2023 to add the provision to the city’s anti-bias law. [40] [41] The Ambedkar International Center approached the California Supreme Court to be admitted as an amicus curie in the case to provide expert and extensive information on caste discrimination. [42] [43] The center challenged the Hindu American Foundation's amicus brief, which argued that the caste system was not a part of Hinduism. [44] AIC wrote in an email to Seattle City Council advocating for a "yes" vote on the ordinance. [45]

Ram Kumar, President of the Ambedkar International Center was quoted in the Siasat Daily as saying that AIC had worked in collaboration with the Coalition of Seattle Indian-Americans, Ambedkar King Study Circle, Ambedkar Association of North America and Equality Labs to work closely with Council member Kshama Sawant to help draft this legislation. [46]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">B. R. Ambedkar</span> Indian jurist, economist, politician and social reformer (1891–1956)

Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar was an Indian jurist, economist, social reformer and political leader who headed the committee drafting the Constitution of India from the Constituent Assembly debates, served as Law and Justice minister in the first cabinet of Jawaharlal Nehru, and inspired the Dalit Buddhist movement after renouncing Hinduism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dalit Buddhist movement</span> Modern sociopolitical movement among Dalits

The Dalit Buddhist movement is a religious as well as a socio-political movement among Dalits in India which was started by B. R. Ambedkar. It re-interpreted Buddhism and created a new school of Buddhism called Navayana. The movement has sought to be a socially and politically engaged form of Buddhism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dalit</span> Marginalized castes in India and other South Asian countries

Dalit is a term first coined by Jyotirao Phule for untouchables and outcasts. It is the lowest stratum of the castes in the Indian subcontinent. Dalits were excluded from the fourfold varna of the caste hierarchy and were seen as forming a fifth varna, also known by the name of Panchama. Several scholars have drawn parallels between Dalits and the Burakumin of Japan, the Baekjeong of Korea and the peasant class of the medieval European feudal system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Republican Party of India</span> Indian political party

The Republican Party of India was a political party in India. It had its roots in the Scheduled Castes Federation led by B. R. Ambedkar. The 'Training School for Entrance to Politics' was established by Ambedkar in 1956 which was to serve as an entry point to the Republican Party of India (RPI). The first batch of the school consisted of 15 students. Its first batch turned out to be last batch as the school was closed after Ambedkar's death in 1956.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi</span> Indian political party

Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, formerly known as the Dalit Panthers of India or the Dalit Panthers Iyyakkam, is an Indian social movement and political party that seeks to combat caste based discrimination, active in the state of Tamil Nadu. The party also has a strong emphasis on Tamil nationalism. Its chairman is Thol. Thirumavalavan, a lawyer from Chennai, and its general secretary is the writer Ravikumar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gail Omvedt</span> American-born Indian sociologist (1941–2021)

Gail Omvedt was an American-born Indian sociologist and human rights activist. She was a prolific writer and published numerous books on the anti-caste movement, Dalit politics, and women's struggles in India. Omvedt was involved in Dalit and anti-caste movements, environmental, farmers' and women's movements, especially with rural women.

Persecution and discrimination against Dalits has been observed in the countries such as Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Nepal, the UK, and the US.

The Dalit Panthers is a social organisation that seeks to combat caste discrimination. It was led by a group of Mahar writers and poets, including Raja Dhale, Namdeo Dhasal, and J. V. Pawar in some time between the second and the third semester of 1972. It was founded as a response to the growing discontent among the Dalit youth during the 25th Independence Day celebrations. Inspired by the Black Panther movement in the United States, poet-writers J V Pawar and Namdeo Dhasal founded the Dalit Panthers, urging a boycott of the Independence Day revelry, terming it a 'Black Independence Day'. The movement's heyday lasted from the 1970s through the 1980s, and it was later joined by many Dalit-Buddhist activists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anand Teltumbde</span> Indian scholar (born 1950)

Anand Teltumbde is an Indian scholar, writer, and human rights activist who is a management professor at the Goa Institute of Management. He has written extensively about the caste system in India and has advocated for the rights of Dalits.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eleanor Zelliot</span> American writer and historian

Eleanor Zelliot was an American writer, professor of Carleton College and specialist on the India, Southeast Asia, Vietnam, women of Asia, Untouchables, and social movements.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Navayana (publishing house)</span>

Navayana is an independent anti-caste Indian publishing house based in New Delhi, strongly influenced by Ambedkarite ideas. It was founded by S. Anand and D. Ravikumar in 2003. The first book it published was Ambedkar: Autobiographical Notes priced at Rs 40. Since then it has published acclaimed fiction, non-fiction, graphic novels and poetry anthologies. From 2009 onwards, Navayana broadened its publishing outlook to include social issues other than caste because ‘the struggle against caste cannot happen in isolation from other struggles for justice and equality’ as a statement on the website reads.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rohith Vemula</span> Indian doctoral student (1989–2016)

Rohith Chakravarthi Vemula was an Indian PhD scholar at the University of Hyderabad. From July 2015 to December 2015, the university stopped paying Rohith his monthly stipend of ₹25,000 till December 2015, with friends alleging that he was targeted for raising issues on campus under the banner of Ambedkar Students' Association (ASA), an Ambedkarite student organisation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thenmozhi Soundararajan</span> Indian American Dalit Rights Activist

Thenmozhi Soundararajan is an Indian American Dalit rights activist based in the United States of America. She is also a transmedia storyteller, songwriter, hip hop musician and technologist. She has been actively campaigning for the rights of the marginalized in the midst of structural casteism. She is the founder of Equality Labs, the largest Dalit civil rights organization in the United States. Soundararajan is known for her advocacy work against caste discrimination in the United States and India, and for her contributions to the field of media and technology justice. She has co-authored reports on hate speech and disinformation on social media, and has spoken out against caste-based harassment in the tech industry. Soundararajan's book "The Trauma of Caste" explores the intersection of caste, gender, and mental health, and advocates for the recognition and healing of caste soul wounds as a prerequisite for caste abolition. She has also been involved in art and storytelling projects, including the creation of the #DalitWomenFight movement and the curation of Dalit History Month.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bhim Army</span> Indian social organization

The Bhim Army, alternatively Bheem Army or the Bheem Army Bharat Ekta Mission is an Ambedkarite and Dalit rights organisation in India. It was founded by Satish Kumar, Vinay Ratan Singh and Chandra Shekhar Aazad in 2015. The organisation runs more than 350 free schools for Dalits and Muslims in Uttar Pradesh. The organisation is named after B. R. Ambedkar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dalit History Month</span> Annual celebration of Dalit history

Dalit History Month is an annual observance as a way of remembering important people and events in the history of the Dalits or Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. It is celebrated in April all over the world by Ambedkarites, followers of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. Discussions, storytelling, history projects, special publications in media, and art works are organized during this month. The Canadian Province of British Columbia recognized April as Dalit History Month.

Radhika Vemula is an Indian activist for Dalit rights and against caste based discrimination.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ambedkarism</span> Philosophy or ideology of B. R. Ambedkar

Ambedkarism is called as the teaching, ideology or philosophy of B.R. Ambedkar, an Indian economist, barrister, social reformer, and the first of Minister of Law and Justice in the first cabinet of Jawaharlal Nehru. Ambedkarism includes special focus on subjects such as fraternity, democracy, communal electorates, conversion out of Hinduism, political power, rule of law, Navayana, among others. An Ambedkarite is one who follows the philosophy of Ambedkar. Icons of Ambedkarite ideology also include Periyar, Jyotirao Phule and others.

Caste discrimination in the United States is a form of discrimination based on the social hierarchy which is determined by a person's birth. Though the use of the term caste is more prevalent in South Asia and Bali, in the United States, Indian Americans also use the term caste.

Equality Labs is a South-Asian Ambedkarite organisation co-founded by Thenmozhi Soundararajan, Aruna Sanghapali and Valli Karunakaran in 2015. The organisation focuses on addressing caste discrimination within the South Asian diaspora and has conducted significant research on the issue. They released a groundbreaking report in 2016, presenting the first-ever survey on caste and caste discrimination in the US. Equality Labs has actively advocated for marginalized communities, shedding light on pervasive caste discrimination experienced by Dalits and other marginalized groups, including on college campuses. Additionally, they have conducted research on hate speech and disinformation on platforms like Facebook India, calling for stronger content moderation policies to address targeted hate speech against marginalized communities.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Who We Are". Ambedkar International Center. Retrieved September 2, 2021.
  2. ↑ "Books by 'Father of Indian Constitution' B.R. Ambedkar - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
  3. ↑ DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR WRITINGS AND SPEECHES VOL. 1 (PDF). Dr Ambedkar Foundation, Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, Govt. of India. 1979. ISBN   978-93-5109-064-9.
  4. ↑ "THE ANNIHILATION OF CASTE" (PDF). ccnmtl.columbia.edu. September 10, 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 10, 2021. Retrieved September 10, 2020.
  5. 1 2 Dutt, Yashica (July 14, 2020). "Opinion | The Specter of Caste in Silicon Valley". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved September 10, 2021.
  6. 1 2 ambedkarinternationalcenter.org " Archived September 2, 2021, at the Wayback Machine ". Accessed September 23, 2021.
  7. 1 2 ambedkarinternationalcenter.org " Archived September 2, 2021, at the Wayback Machine ". Accessed September 2, 2021.
  8. ↑ "Even with a Harvard pedigree, caste follows 'like a shadow'". The World from PRX. Retrieved September 10, 2021.
  9. ↑ "California example". The Indian Express. July 3, 2020. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
  10. ↑ Naik, Raqib Hameed. "US students pass resolution to end discrimination against Dalits". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved September 10, 2021.
  11. ↑ "All Come to Look for America". The Indian Express. December 10, 2016. Retrieved September 17, 2021.
  12. 1 2 "AMBEDKAR INTERNATIONAL CENTER POST-PRESS CONFERENCE BRIEF" (PDF). Ambedkarinternationalcenter.org. March 2, 2021. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 17, 2021. Retrieved September 17, 2021.
  13. 1 2 "Why is the Indian Diaspora in Denial About Caste?". Economic and Political Weekly: 7–8. June 5, 2015.
  14. ↑ Samuel, Joshua (2020). Untouchable Bodies, Resistance, and Liberation. Brill. p. 80. ISBN   9789004420052.
  15. ↑ "Dalits". Minority Rights Group. Retrieved September 17, 2021.
  16. ↑ Kolappan, B. (October 9, 2017). "Oppressed by Dalits: living as the lowest among the lowest". The Hindu. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved September 17, 2021.
  17. ↑ "California's case against Cisco Systems violates Hindus' religious freedom". Hindu American Foundation. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
  18. ↑ Karthikeyan, S. "The Hindu American Foundation's warped position on caste in the Cisco case". The Caravan. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
  19. 1 2 "American Ambedkarite organizations condemn caste discrimination at Cisco". The News Minute. July 4, 2020. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
  20. ↑ Osgood, Brian. "Calls to tackle caste-based discrimination in US gather steam". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved September 2, 2021.
  21. ↑ TwoCircles.net (May 14, 2013). "Ambedkar International Center (AIC) acquires 13 acres of land in Washington DC area". TwoCircles.net. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
  22. ↑ "DR. AMBEDKAR INTERNATIONAL CENTER (AIC) ACQUIRES PROPERTY IN WASHINGTON DC AREA" (PDF). Ambedkar Times. May 16, 2013. Retrieved September 14, 2020.
  23. ↑ AIC (May 5, 2020). "Bodhisattva Dr. Ambedkar Memorial". Ambedkar International Center. Retrieved September 2, 2021.
  24. ↑ "American Ambedkarite organisations demand Justice for George Floyd; draw parallels between racism and casteism". TheLeaflet. June 6, 2020. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
  25. ↑ "California Accuses Cisco of Job Discrimination Based on Indian Employee's Caste". The Wire. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
  26. ↑ "How Big Tech Is Importing India's Caste Legacy to Silicon Valley". Bloomberg.com. March 11, 2021. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
  27. ↑ "California's Legal Ground in Battling Caste Discrimination Takes Centre Stage in Historic Cisco Case". The Wire. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
  28. ↑ "Ambedkar International Centre moves California court to join caste discrimination case". OutlookIndia.com. March 3, 2021. Archived from the original on September 6, 2021. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
  29. ↑ "US-based Ambedkar International Centre moves California court over caste discrimination with Dalit Indian". www.timesnownews.com. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
  30. ↑ "Ambedkar International Center Moves Court to Join Cisco Caste Discrimination Case". The Wire. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
  31. ↑ "Mounting international concern over detention of civil rights activists in India in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic". The Caravan. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
  32. ↑ "Global Solidarity Statement for Dr. Anand Teltumbde and Gautam Navlakha – India Civil Watch International (ICWI)" . Retrieved September 14, 2021.
  33. ↑ Wasnik, Mahesh. "Statement in support of twelve Bhima Koregaon activists". Round Table India. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
  34. ↑ "UN's Support Sought for Withdrawal of Charges Against Anand Teltumbde". The Wire. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
  35. 1 2 "HCU suicide: Rohith protest goes abroad". Deccan Chronicle. January 25, 2016. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
  36. ↑ "Ambedkar in America". Dr. B. R. Ambedkar's Caravan. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
  37. ↑ "San Francisco Protest - "Caste Apartheid" Responsible for Death of Dalit Scholar #RohithVermula - Kractivism" . Retrieved September 14, 2021.
  38. ↑ "COVID-19 and Vaccine Awareness Camp Organized at Over 50 Locations" . Retrieved September 17, 2021.
  39. ↑ "आम्बेडकर इंटरनेशनल सेंटर तसेच बोधिपथ मल्टीपरपज सोशल ऑर्गनाइज़ेशन तर्फे ऑक्सिजन कॉन्स्ट्रेटर मशीनची भेट". www.news34.in. Retrieved September 17, 2021.
  40. ↑ "Seattle becomes first US city to ban caste-based discrimination". The Guardian. Associated Press. February 22, 2023. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved March 7, 2023.
  41. ↑ "Seattle becomes first U.S. city to ban caste discrimination". PBS NewsHour. February 21, 2023. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
  42. ↑ "Ambedkar International Center Moves Court to Join Cisco Caste Discrimination Case". The Wire. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
  43. ↑ "Understanding Caste Discrimination: What Workplaces Should Know to Avoid Possible Lawsuits". Risk & Insurance. April 29, 2022. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
  44. ↑ Rajagopal, Raju (October 8, 2022). "Hindu-Americans are in denial about caste. It's been in religious scriptures for long". ThePrint. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
  45. ↑ "When do the privileged feel like victims? When others seek equality". The Seattle Times. February 27, 2023. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
  46. ↑ Khan, Sameer (February 22, 2023). "Seattle City Council votes to ban caste discrimination". The Siasat Daily. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.