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Comment by munk-a | Hacker News Reader

While caste systems might seem far off and irrelevant in the modern world there is actually a rather extreme amount of caste based discrimination in work places. It's an issue we need to talk about and resolve.

I can't talk to this particular activist's positions, but Dalit Activism is a very relevant and worthy cause - it causes pretty significant discrimination even in the US.

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How do you come to know someone's caste?

Often, the surname is enough.

Surnames are a direct indication and to a lesser extent place of birth I believe.

India is far too large for place of birth to be a reliable indicator of caste seeing as all cases are everywhere in Hindu majority areas and many areas they’re a minority. Surname, yes.

An Indian lecturing white people about discrimination is almost certainly a Brahmin.

Surnames.

Brahmins will tell you a talk about caste discrimination is anti-hindu.

I don’t want to pile on or anything, because it seems like you’re engaging in good faith, but I don’t understand the quickness to say “I don’t think this should be discussed at work” if you don’t even know the basics. Why is the default position not to be curious to learn more?

You don't know anything about religion X. Does that mean work is a good place to discuss religion X?

Social, political, religious, or just generally ideas that are likely to make people uncomfortable are, generally, not good things to talk about at work. I shouldn't have to worry about my well meaning coworker wanting to save my soul, win my vote, or whatever. My coworker and I need to work together to solve the problems of our business - those other topics don't help us coordinate and might hurt our ability to coordinate by sowing dissension.

Until very recently it was well understood that certain topics are better off not discussed at work. This is not a dearth of curiosity but a surfeit of common sense.

Christianity gets shoved into people's face all the time at work, on the road, at sports games, at the state and local legislature, at the school board, at the fxxxing presidential inauguration. Why don't we throw Hinduism in there for good measure? What's more fuel on the fire?

Personally I'd rather less fuel in the religious fire

there used to be a lot of interesting, thought-provoking (?) talks at Google.

Yes it is a workplace, but also a community of curious and open-minded people

Or at least used to be

the same way that i can tell within a relatively short time and with decent accuracy whether or not someone was raised in my class.

regarding caste, toss in skin tones, name, accents, etc…

is it only in the US or do Indian employees face same challenges in other parts of the world too?

To my knowledge it's a global issue but the US brings a lot of skilled immigrants from India and is a lot more proactive in addressing workplace discrimination. I'm only aware of the US and Canadian issues with Dalit caste discrimination - maybe someone else can help shed light on other areas? I'm sure that the UK has enough ethnic Indian residents that it's had to deal with it as well?

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