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CoHNA applauds Rutgers University’s stand on caste

The university announced on Jan.13 that it would ban all forms of caste discrimination but would not add “caste” as a separate protected category to its non-discrimination policies.

The CoHNA Youth Action Network (CYAN) team at Rutgers had previously argued that the inclusion of caste as a protected category was unnecessary and could lead to discrimination against Hindu and Indian students and faculty. / Facebook

Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA) welcomed Rutgers University's decision to not include "caste" as a protected category in its non-discrimination policy. The university clarified that caste-based discrimination is already covered under existing policies addressing discrimination based on ancestry and national origin.

CoHNA reacted in a statement that “the decision followed a campaign led by certain Rutgers students and faculty”, advocating for caste to be specifically listed as a protected category. CoHNA, in response, expressed concern that such a move would disproportionately target Hindu and Indian communities, as caste is often associated with these groups.

"I am glad that the Rutgers University Labor Relations office recognized that caste is already covered under their current policy and did not fall for the report by the task force, which singled out Hindu students and faculty," said Hitesh Trivedi, associate Hindu chaplain at Rutgers University. "In a recent study, Rutgers University’s Social Perception Lab confirmed that adding caste to its policy would increase suspicion and hate towards Hindu and Indian Americans."

The CoHNA Youth Action Network (CYAN) team at Rutgers had previously argued that the inclusion of caste as a protected category was unnecessary and could lead to discrimination against Hindu and Indian students and faculty. "Caste is not a neutral word and is primarily associated with these communities," the organization stated.

The statement also cited one student, who chose to remain anonymous, expressing relief over the decision, noting that it was "very intimidating" to speak up in such an environment but was pleased that the administration listened to student concerns.

"As a Rutgers alumnus and someone who has been active in the alumni community, I am pleased to see a decision grounded in reason and facts versus the emotions of a small privileged set of activists," said Nikunj Trivedi, president of CoHNA. "Now, we want to ensure that the DEI team is also sensitized on the ramifications of the topic as it considers adding questions on caste in its survey."

Rutgers’ stance on caste discrimination

Rutgers University reaffirmed its commitment to addressing caste-based discrimination on campus following the release of a report by a task force examining the issue. In a statement on Jan.13, the university clarified that it would not be adding "caste" as a separate protected category to its non-discrimination policies. Instead, the university maintained that discrimination based on caste is already covered under broader categories such as race, religion, ancestry, and national origin.

The task force, formed as part of an agreement between Rutgers and the Rutgers AAUP-AFT union, had been tasked with evaluating whether caste should be explicitly included in the university’s Policy on Discrimination and Harassment. 

While the task force’s August 2024 report acknowledged that caste-based discrimination exists at Rutgers, the university ultimately decided that the issue is sufficiently addressed by existing policies.

“Caste-based discrimination is a problem at Rutgers that limits the potential and opportunities of some in our university community,” the task force stated in its report. It emphasized the need for clear policies and educational initiatives to address caste-based discrimination effectively.

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