CasteFiles

17/01/2025

Castefiles Hails Rutgers' Decision to Reject Flawed Caste Based Policy Recommendations by Caste Task Force

Richa Gautam, Founder of CasteFiles: 'The uphill battle against caste policy has been a lesson in achieving moral victories. Adding caste as a policy category amounts to profiling Indian American students—a move that is unacceptable in the USA. I am glad to see Rutgers University acknowledge this and affirm that caste is already covered under existing laws. Adding caste as a separate category would only harm students through unnecessary and discriminatory profiling.'

Abhijit Bagal, Legal Director: 'In our legal notice and press interviews, we highlighted the critical issue of Prof. Audrey Truschke’s shifting and inconsistent definitions of caste. Unfortunately, instead of addressing our valid concerns, we have been unfairly labeled as a “far-right group.” Let me clarify—CasteFiles is not a political entity. We are a policy think tank dedicated to challenging discriminatory and harmful policies, and we will continue to advocate for fairness and equity.'

Read More: https://castefiles.com/castefiles-hails-rutgers-decision-to-reject-flawed-caste-based-policy-recommendations-by-caste-task-force


Richa Gautam Rutgers University—Newark

03/01/2025

Dive into the December newsletter to see how far we've come and where we're headed.👉https://conta.cc/3DD3ncR

Stay ahead—subscribe now: https://castefiles.com


Richa Gautam Contagion Research Institute

26/12/2024

The Economic Times quotes CasteFiles in its feature on the NCRI aka National Contagion Report (NCRI)

The article quotes CasteFiles Directors Abhijit Bagal and Richa Gautam. It discusses CasteFiles' extensive work in advocacy, legal pushback, and Title VI complaints fighting unwarranted and misdirected caste labeling and policymaking in the USA.

The article discusses the harmful impact of "Instructing Animosity" - the study conducted by NCRI.

Read more at: https://hr.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/workplace-4-0/diversity-and-inclusion/dei-workshops-on-caste-race-narratives-have-been-counterproductive-study/115765348

DEI Workshops: The findings of the study, 'Instructing Animosity', conducted by the Network Contagion Research Institute (NCRI) were released early this week. The report said there is a divisive and counterproductive impact of certain Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) workshops focused on caste....

10/12/2024

“A Cry for Justice”: Bangladesh Minorities Alliance Demand Immediate Action at UN Forum to Stop Targeted Persecution of Hindus in Bangladesh

Bangladesh has become a battlefield for minority rights, where homes are burning, temples are desecrated, and communities are shattered.

Dipan Mitra, speaking on behalf of World Hindu Federation (WHF) European Chapter and CaresGlobal delivered an emotional appeal:

“This is not just about statistics. This is about lives destroyed, dreams crushed, and futures stolen. The suffering of Bangladesh’s Hindus cannot be ignored. These are mothers, fathers, children—people whose voices have been silenced. It is our moral duty to stand with them and ensure justice. The world must act now, before it’s too late.”

“The persecution of Hindus and Buddhists is not merely an issue of apathy in governance; it is a stain on the conscience of humanity and its lukewarm efforts,” said Richa Gautam of CaresGlobal.

Please read our press release for more 👇👇👇
https://conta.cc/4fajICX



CaresGlobal Dipan Mitra Richa Gautam

04/12/2024

28/11/2024

CasteFiles press release on the NCRI report on Hostility Attribution Bias and DEI trainings 👇👇👇👇

NCRI Study Validates CasteFiles, Echoes Concern Over Harmful Caste and Race Workshops

[New Jersey] — CasteFiles, a leading voice advocating for the fair and balanced treatment of identity issues, has expressed profound validation following the release of a landmark study by the Network Contagion Research Institute (NCRI). The study, titled Instructing Animosity, underscores concern long raised by CasteFiles about the divisive and counterproductive impact of certain Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) workshops focused on caste and race narratives.

Richa Gautam, founder of CasteFiles, remarked, “We feel deeply gratified and validated by the findings of the NCRI study. It reinforces our mission to promote mature and nuanced discussions on identity, free from the divisive rhetoric and ‘Hostile Attribution Bias’ identified by NCRI in these trainings.”

The NCRI report highlights how DEI workshops, particularly those centered on anti-racist and anti-caste narratives, may inadvertently foster otherization and deepen social divisions. By intensifying participants’ racialized perceptions and behaviors, such training can contribute to rising polarization, evident in the surge of social media vitriol.

Media Accountability and CasteGate Investigations

Abhijit Bagal, CasteFiles’ Legal Director, criticized mainstream media for failing to address these concerns. “What is even more troubling is the suppression of the NCRI study by mainstream outlets, which instead amplify one-sided narratives on DEI,” Bagal stated.

Gautam also highlighted http://CasteGate.org, a whistleblower platform that challenged the media’s handling of high-profile cases, including the now-dismissed caste discrimination lawsuit against two Hindu American managers at Cisco. “Despite the dismissal, media outlets continued to treat baseless allegations as facts, ignoring evidence presented by investigative platforms like ours,” she added.

Title VI Complaints and Academic Accountability

CasteFiles has taken legal action under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, filing complaints against universities incorporating caste-focused training and policies. The most recent complaint at Rutgers University alleges that the use of caste narratives has not only failed to prevent discrimination but has actively harmed Indian American students.

Critiquing academic narratives, Bagal pointed to Rutgers Chairperson Audrey Truschke’s shifting positions on caste. “In her earlier paper, Truschke labeled caste as synonymous with Hindu Dharma, yet now describes it as a global social phenomenon. This inconsistency underscores the lack of accountability in such rhetoric,” Bagal stated.

CasteFiles calls for a comprehensive reevaluation of DEI workshops to ensure they foster inclusion without perpetuating bias or regressive narratives. The organization remains steadfast in its commitment to advocating for policies and practices that promote unity and understanding.

https://castefiles.com/ncri-study-validates-castefiles-echoes-concern-over-harmful-caste-and-race-workshops

Richa Gautam

19/09/2024

Our Team presents at the AI symposium

Both Abhijit Bagal and I had a very interesting learning experience participating in the AI symposium on Health Humanities and Culture - this was organized at the University of Cincinnati and we will be publishing our peer reviewed research in an academic journal on these topics.

It was wonderful listening to Dr vemasani and others who covered a wide range of topics

Richa Gautam

10/09/2024

Both Abhijit Bagal and I were quoted in this article about CasteFiles' complaint against Rutgers Rutgers Hindu YUVA and other Indian American students at Rutgers have filed complaints against Audrey Trushke in the past for her blatant anti Hindu lectures at the college. Our thinktank fights the rising rhetoric on caste that is being perpetrated in college campuses through false reports like the one released by Trushke's group Read on.....

(RNS) — Beginning in 2020 with Brandeis University, more than 20 higher education institutions across the country have followed momentum to recognize caste discrimination in their policies. But some in Hindu advocacy circles see this as a concerted attempt to negatively label one community as 'cas...

05/09/2024

Why is the World so Obsessed with India’s Caste System?

Having been the subject of sociological and anthropological studies of Western researchers for so long, the Indians have begun to believe that like laboratory specimens, their place is under the microscope. It is time to reverse the lenses. There is a whole world outside India waiting to be examined and understood from an Indian perspective and noted author Sahana Singh explores the long-ignored caste systems that originated in Europe.

Read more : https://castefiles.com/why-is-the-world-so-obsessed-with-indias-caste-system


Richa Gautam

05/09/2024

Thank you Free Press Journal for a long form feature on CasteFiles’ complaint against Rutgers and Prof Truschke 🙏

Important to note that we are more than Hindu American think tank - As a civil rights advocacy think tank, CasteFiles has worked to decode and dismantle caste and race narratives through legal academic and sociological analysis and advocacy .

While we recognize religious discrimination and work against all forms of discrimination, we uphold American civil liberties and are driven by values embedded in the American constitution

Quotes from the article :
Rutgers University may be a habitual offender, according to research conducted by Abhijit Bagal, Director of CasteFiles. He emphasised Rutgers University's failure to protect its students from discrimination and harassment, referencing several recent complaints and lawsuits that highlight the university's shortcomings,” the media release said

https://www.freepressjournal.in/education/rutgers-university-faces-complaint-for-failing-to-protect-students-from-caste-discrimination

Richa Gautam Rutgers University

02/09/2024

Atheists for Liberty (AFL) Joins the Fight Against CRD, Defending Fundamental Freedoms

Atheists for Liberty, a nonprofit dedicated to defending fundamental freedoms, condemns the California Civil Rights Department (CRD) for violating religious freedom rights of Cisco case defendant Sundar Iyer.

On July 10, 2024, at FreedomFest, President Thomas Sheedy and Sundar Iyer, a secular entrepreneur forcibly labeled as Hindu Brahmin by the CRD, highlighted this injustice. Together, they are challenging the CRD's unconstitutional actions, which misrepresent caste as a solely Hindu practice.

This landmark case emphasizes the importance of First Amendment rights, uniting Americans in defending fundamental freedoms.

Read more : https://castefiles.com/atheists-for-liberty-a-national-501c3-educational-nonprofit-organization-dedicated-to-defending-fundamental-freedoms-joins-the-fight-against-woke-rogue-crd

Richa Gautam