Toronto has become the first school board in Canada to acknowledge caste discrimination, addressing the issue of caste prejudice that transcends national boundaries. The resolution put up by Toronto District School Board trustee Yalini Rajakulasingam received support from 16 trustees and opposition from 5. According to the overwhelming vote, they have requested assistance from a provincial human rights organisation in developing a workable plan to eliminate casteism in the city's schools.
The Toronto district board raises a problem that is widely experienced by the local South Asian diaspora, especially the Indian populations. The choice was made a few weeks after the Seattle City Council became the first American city to abolish caste discrimination.
One of the oldest systems of social stratification in existence, casteism is still widely practised in many Indian tribes. She arranged for a collaboration between the Toronto school board and the human rights commission of Ontario, the country's most populated province, to create a safer environment.
The caste system in the nation has existed for hundreds of years and has given upper castes many benefits while oppressing lower castes. Because of the severe crimes and acts of violence done against populations at the bottom of the caste structure, casteism has frequently made headlines. The caste system still persists today despite being outlawed more than 70 years ago in all spheres of society.
Meanwhile, communities abroad still actively practise this discrimination or do it unconsciously. Caste prejudice has been widely documented, particularly in the US and Canada, where considerable numbers of Indians have emigrated. Many anticipate the Toronto school board's decision to appropriately address the prevalence of casteism in the system as the discussion over caste discrimination continues.