A man in the UK was arrested for posting casteist slurs on social media, making it the first time someone was convicted for caste-based discrimination in Britain.
UK: Man Sentenced to 18 Weeks in Jail for Posting Casteist Offensive Message on Social Media.
A man, named Amrik Singh Bajwa, has been given a custodial sentence of 18 weeks for posting a casteist offensive message on Tik Tok, pic.twitter.com/Cenol3oriL— Dalit Desk | (@dalitdesk) April 5, 2023
The suspect, identified as Amrik Singh Bajwa, was arrested after an investigation conducted by the Thames Valley Police and was accused of violating Sections 127(1)(a) and (3) of the UK’s Communications Act of 2003 for sending offensive and obscene messages online.
The indecent material was a Tiktok video Bajwa posted in July last year. In the clip, the man hurled slurs, sexual abuse, obscenities, and even threats of rape against the Dalit Sikh community and the Chamaar and Choohra Dalit communities.
Bajwa also praised the upper caste Hindu community, Jat, for sexually abusing Dalit women in India as a source of pride.
“Major win by Dalit organizations in UK courts with this conviction & jailing for vile casteist hate speech & rape threats against Dalit women.” SouthAsia Solidarity, a UK-based left-wing human rights organization, said in their Tweet.
Major win by Dalit organisations in UK courts with this conviction & jailing for vile casteist hate speech & rape threats against Dalit women. 'it is perhaps the first...in UK where Caste-based slurs & sexual hate speech have been prosecuted' : CasteWatchUK #DalitHistoryMonth pic.twitter.com/H4vah2XGRg
— SouthAsia Solidarity (@SAsiaSolidarity) April 4, 2023
After his arrest, the Slough Magistrates Court sentenced Bajwa to 18 weeks of a custodial sentence for his actions. Members of various organizations, such as Bhagwan Valmik Sabha, Southall, Shri Guru Ravidas Sabha (UK and Europe), Shri Guru Ravidas Sabha, Gravesend, and Sikh Federation, were present during court proceedings.
“This matter first went to the Crown Prosecution Service for a charging decision but was subsequently escalated to the Attorney General for a final decision. It is perhaps the first case of its kind in the UK where Caste based slurs and sexual hate speech has been prosecuted,” Caste Watch UK, a human rights organization focusing on fighting caste-based discrimination, have said.
“It was criminally reckless for Mr. Amrik Singh Bajwa to post this casteist material online for others to view. It shows the contempt of one caste group for another caste group, a practice familiar in countries like India, and shows signs of replication in Britain,” a spokesperson for Caste Watch UK also said. “His criminal conviction will send a strong message that such caste hate speech and abuse will not be tolerated in Britain,”
The suspect’s religious affiliation and caste remain highly debated by many media outlets and netizens. While Bajwa was initially reported to be a Jat Hindu, as reported by Maktoob Media. But another online news outlet, OP India, argued that Bajwa was actually a Jat Sikh and accused Maktoob Media of “fanning Hinduphobia” in the West.
Bajwas are JattSikh. I am from Punjab. The accused and victim both belong to the same religion and are not Hindu. Hindus don't use Singh Bajwa for the last name.
— Dr. S.D. Gulati (@drsdgulati) April 12, 2023
