Introduction
The State of California Department of Fair Employment and Housing(DFEH)’s lawsuit against Cisco Systems for caste discrimination recognizes a long-hidden malaise in the Indian diaspora. Even after complaints by the victim in November 2016 to the Cisco HR about ‘the discriminatory behavior’ of his so-called upper caste managers and subsequent inquiry and discussions, Cisco failed to take action, arguing that ‘caste discrimination is not unlawful‘. It is clear that caste conceited Indians who practice caste in their day-to-day life – having learned and brought it to America – carefully conceal their practices of caste discrimination and bigotry. Such devious concealment is accomplished partly by portraying Indians in the USA as a monolithic entity. It also shows that American corporates are unaware of the endemic practice of caste among Indians – in India and the diaspora.
The aim of this series is to encourage anti-caste Indians to openly discuss the practice of caste in the USA and to educate the broader American public about the caste system and the discriminatory practices that surreptitiously continue, especially among those working in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM).

Join the discussion via ZOOM:
ZOOM MEETING ID: 850 7900 1150
URL: https://www.tinyurl.com/ConfAKSC
Facebook LIVE:
https://www.tinyurl.com/AkscLive
Upcoming Discussion Series#9:
USA Pacific Time Zone: SAT SEP 12, 2020 — 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM PDT
(INDIA Time Zone: SAT SEP 12, 2020 — 10:30 PM – 12:00 AM IST)
NAME | DESCRIPTION | TITLE | MORE INFO |
Prof. David Mosse![]() |
Professor of Social Anthropology, Department of Anthropology, SOAS University of London, UK | CASTE & RELIGION: Caste discrimination and claims to castelessness in law and economy | click here to watch the recording More details about Prof. David Mosse |
Discussion Series#8:
USA Pacific Time Zone: THU AUG 27, 2020 — 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM PDT
(INDIA Time Zone: FRI AUG 28, 2020 — 6:30 AM – 8:00 AM IST)
NAME | DESCRIPTION | TITLE | MORE INFO |
Prof. Ram Mahalingam![]() |
Barger Leadership Institute Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Michigan | Dignity and Caste: A cultural psychological perspective |
click here to watch the recording More details about Prof. Ram Mahalingam |
Prof. Gaurav J. Pathania![]() |
Adjunct Professor, Department of Sociology, Georgetown University Washington DC | Cultural Resistance among Dalit-Bahujan Students in Indian Universities | click here to watch the recording More detail about Prof. Gaurav J. Pathania |
Discussion Series#7:
USA Pacific Time Zone: SAT AUG 22, 2020 — 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM PDT
(INDIA Time Zone: SAT AUG 22, 2020 — 10:30 PM – 12:00 AM IST)
NAME | DESCRIPTION | TITLE | MORE INFO |
Prof. Anupama Rao![]() |
Professor, History and MESAAS at Barnard College, Columbia University, USA | Race, Caste and Comradeship | click here to watch the recording More details about Prof.Anupama Rao |
Dr. Gajendran Ayyathurai![]() |
Post-Doctoral Fellow, Center For Modern Indian Studies, Göttingen University, Germany | Resisting Global Brahmanism | click here to watch the recording More detail about Dr.Gajendran Ayyadurai |
Discussion Series#6:
USA Pacific Time Zone: THU AUG 13, 2020 — 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM PDT
(INDIA Time Zone: FRI AUG 14, 2020 — 6:30 AM – 8:00 AM IST)
NAME | DESCRIPTION | TITLE | MORE INFO |
Prof. Hari Bapuji![]() |
Professor, University of Melbourne, Australia | How the Caste System Maintains and Increases Economic Inequality | Click here to watch the recording More details: Hari Bapuji |
Prof. Vamsi Vakulabharanam![]() |
Co-Director, Asian Political Economy Program and Associate Professor of Economics. | Caste and wealth in India | Click here to watch the recording More detail: Vamsi |
Discussion Series#5:
USA Pacific Time Zone: SAT AUG 8, 2020 — 11:00 AM – 12:30 AM PDT
(INDIA Time Zone: SAT AUG 8, 2020 — 11:30 PM – 1:00 AM IST)
NAME | DESCRIPTION | TITLE | MORE INFO |
Dr. Meena Dhanda![]() |
Professor of Philosophy and Cultural Politics, University of Wolverhampton, UK | An Unnameable Injustice: The Caste Problem in the UK | Click here to watch the recording More detail: Dr.Meena |
Dr. Annapurna Waughray![]() |
Reader in Human Rights Law, Manchester Metropolitan University, UK | Caste, discrimination and legal change in the UK | Click here to watch the recording More Info: Dr.Annapurna |
Discussion Series#4:
USA Pacific Time Zone: SAT AUG 1, 2020 — 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM PDT
(INDIA Time Zone: SAT AUG 1, 2020 — 10:30 PM – 12:00 AM IST)
NAME | DESCRIPTION | TITLE | RECORDING |
---|---|---|---|
Prof. Shailaja D. Paik![]() |
Associate Professor – Department of History University of Cincinnati, OH | Building bridges: Dalit and African American women’s solidarity | Click here to watch the recording Author of the book Dalit Women’s Education in Modern India: Double Discrimination. |
Prof. Kevin D. Brown![]() |
Richard S. Melvin Professor, Indiana University Maurer School of Law, Bloomington, IN |
History of the African-American Relationship to Oppression on the Indian Subcontinent and Where Dalits and Black Go from Here? |
Click here to watch the recording |
Discussion Series#3:
USA Pacific Time Zone: SAT JUL 25, 2020 — 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM PDT
(INDIA Time Zone: SAT JUL 25, 2020 — 10:30 PM – 12:00 AM IST)
NAME | DESCRIPTION | TITLE | RECORDING |
---|---|---|---|
Mr. Aditya Chatterjee![]() |
Advocate, Delhi High Court & Supreme Court of India | Treatment of Caste in Judicial Decisions | click here to watch the recording |
Mr. C.Jagdish![]() |
Senior Standing Counsel of Social Welfare Department, Karnataka, India | Caste Discrimination Everywhere | click here to watch the recording |
Discussion Series#2:
USA Pacific Time Zone: THU JUL 23, 2020 — 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM
(INDIA Time Zone: FRI JUL 24, 2020 — 6:30 AM – 8:00 AM)
NAME | DESCRIPTION | TITLE | RECORDING |
---|---|---|---|
Dr. Ajantha Subramanian![]() |
Professor of Anthropology and of South Asian Studies. Chair – Department of Anthropology, Harvard University |
How Caste Travels? | Click here to watch the recording Dr.Ajantha is also author of “Shorelines: Space and Rights in South India” and “The Caste of Merit: Engineering Education in India” books published by Harvard University Press |
Dr. Suraj Yengde![]() |
Post-Doc, Harvard Kennedy School, Cambridge, MA | California State vs Cisco – Caste Discrimination Lawsuit: American Brahminic Fiasco | Click here to watch the recording Dr. Suraj is an author of the bestseller book “Caste Matters”. Co-editor of “The Radical in Ambedkar – Critical Reflection” book |
Discussion Series#1:
USA Pacific Time Zone: SAT JUL 18, 2020 — 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM
INDIA Time Zone: SAT JUL 18, 2020 — 10:30 PM – 12:00 AM
NAME | DESCRIPTION | TITLE | RECORDING |
---|---|---|---|
Dr. Balmurli Natrajan![]() |
Professor of Anthropology at William Paterson University of New Jersey, USA. | Conceptualizing Casteism: Cause and Effect | Click here to watch the recording Dr. Natrajan’s books include “Culturalization of Caste in India: Identity and Inequality in a Multicultural Age” (London: Routledge, 2011) on the persistence of caste in India today. |
Dr. Murali Shanmugavelan![]() |
Researcher and consultant, London, UK | Everyday Caste – Speech, Practice, and Discrimination | Click here to watch the recording |
Discussion Series# Started with Dr.Kancha Ilaiah:
USA Pacific Time Zone: FRI JUL 10, 2020 — 7:30 PM – 8:30 PM
INDIA Time Zone: SAT JUL 11, 2020 — 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM
Organizer:
Ambedkar King Study Circle (AKSC)

Co-Sponsors:
Ambedkar Association of North America (AANA)
Association for India’s Development (AID)
Boston Coalition (BC)
Coalition of Seattle of Indian-Americans (CSIA)
Global Indians Progressive Alliance (GIPA)
India Civil Watch International (ICWI)
MORE WAYS TO PARTICIPATE IN ANNIHILATING PRACTICE OF CASTE
Sign Solidarity Statement | Share Your Experience |
---|---|
SOLIDARITY STATEMENT TO END CASTE PRACTICES IN SILICON VALLEY AND THE USA: https://tinyurl.com/sol2ENDCaste |
YOUR EXPERIENCE OR OBSERVATION OF CASTE PRACTICE IN THE USA: https://akscusa.org/share-your-testimonies/ |

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