When ‘India Day Parade’ in New York Refused to Let Me Display a Banner Denouncing Caste Discrimination
- What kind of world are we living in? Is this not the United States of America, where Rosa Parks refused to sit at the back of the bus?
Sometimes, people are curious as to who invented the “divide and rule” strategy. I feel that Indians created it centuries ago through its caste system. In that system, the so-called lowest of the low, are untouchables who are also called Dalits and who do menial jobs from generation to generation. It is sad to see that one of the three ancient civilizations in the world continues that system.
Every country gets a day in New York City to celebrate and parade on Fifth Avenue. For smaller parades, they assign Madison Avenue. India gets to parade on 5th Avenue. This year, Sunday, August 18th happens to be that day. India I know when I grew up there was the most secular country and India Day Parade should reflect that. Some of us, including me fought against caste discrimination back home. The Constitution of India in its article 14 guarantees equality before the law and equal protection of laws. Then it goes further in Article 17 to abolish untouchability. Dr. Babasaheb Ambdekar was the Chairman of the Constitution Assembly that drafted the Constitution of India. He was also the author of a manifesto titled “Annihilation of Caste.” However, the caste system endures and caste atrocities continue.
At the India Day Parade this year, there was a lot of pomp about the Hindu religion with several of the floats. Of course, there was a float organized by the Begumpura Cultural Society (Guru Ravidas Sabha) based in Queens. Naturally, there were placards like STOP CASTE DISCRIMINATION and so on. Since I am a social activist and a friend, they gave me that placard to display. There was no problem as I displayed and waved it to the onlookers to educate them on the sidelines of the parade. It’s a First Amendment Freedom guaranteed both under the U.S. and Indian Constitutions.
I never faced a situation like this ever in this country even when I was living in Deep South in Georgia.
But once I got on the float with the placard one of the organizers of the parade didn’t like it. You see, a sizable number of the organizers are from the New Jersey area and most of them are from the so-called upper castes. I guess that’s how immigration works. How could one afford to come or even afford to pay for a flight to the U.S. if you are a Dalit stuck in poverty?
The irate organizer wanted me off the float with the help of the police. Obviously, there is nothing police can do as it is a legitimate peaceful activity protected by the First Amendment. He then stopped the float claiming he had the authority to do so. I was still holding on to my placard and stood there on the float without yielding. He said either I get out of the float or get rid of that particular placard. If I did not throw away the STOP CASTE DISCRIMINATION placard, the irate organizer wouldn’t let the float move. As a lawyer who worked for the United Nations Legal Office before I became a full-time actor in New York, I should know better.
Meanwhile, other members of the Begumpura Cultural Society who were marching in the front of the float intervened. They tried to pacify the organizer and resolve this issue. They have a float every year and they do carry these placards. This isn’t new for them this year. The only thing new is the highly charged Hindu atmosphere. This is the only float for the Dalit community. So they asked me to give them my placard. I thought they would hold it instead of me. Since I am their guest and they gave it to me I gave it back to them to carry. They told me that they will deal with this issue later.
At that time this was the only placard in English on the float, while others were in Punjabi. How many people would read Punjabi, especially the American onlookers? However, to keep the float going and represent their presence in the parade, they relented and let the organizer confiscate the placard. I was concerned. You see these people are connected with Prime Minister Modi’s government and other than me a lot of Indians go back and forth to India. And when they go back to visit their families, they face the music from the Hindu establishment.
Well, I got off the float and asked the police to intervene as this is a violation of the First Amendment. The police told me to settle it among ourselves. I never faced a situation like this ever in this country even when I was living in Deep South in Georgia. We are all immigrants here, aren’t we? So, I started thinking what kind of world are we living in? Is this not the United States of America, where Rosa Parks refused to sit at the back of the bus?
Rao Rampilla is a civil rights activist, attorney, and actor.