Politics Podcast | Episode 9| "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere"

Polis Project Conversation Series

Last year, the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing had filed a lawsuit against Cisco on the grounds that a Dalit employee had been severely discriminated against by his ‘upper’ caste supervisors. While the US does not specifically have laws against caste discrimination, the California government used sections of the historic Civil Rights Act, which emerged out of the African American struggle against segregation. This case has brought widespread attention to the issue of caste and Indian American identity in the United States. What makes this lawsuit historic is that it seeks the recognition of caste-based discrimination under the American law. It is this demand—its implications and the historical context under which it has emerged—that is the focus of this epsidoe. Joining us today are John Rushing and Karthikeyan Shanmugam. John Rushing is part of the legal team which filed the amicus brief on behalf of Ambedkar International Center in this case. He began his career as a litigator at Sidley Austin LLP. ​​​​​​​ S Karthikeyan is an IT engineer, living in the silicon valley. He is one of the founding members of the Ambedkar King Study Circle, USA.