The killing of George Floyd last month sparked protests all over the US and around the world, with #BlackLivesMatter hashtag trending for many days on Twitter. Since then, racial discrimination has been the topic of various talks with many multinational companies coming forward to support the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement. Though their track record raises concerns, corporate America has come forward to pledge to play a bigger role in combating racism with top management from companies such as Microsoft, Amazon, Apple, Twitter, Facebook among others coming to support the BLM movement.
At the same time, Indian counterparts have been silent on the discrimination faced by the Dalits. As Twitter changed its header to support BLM, managing director of Twitter India, while taking pride in that, ignored the calls from Dalits to follow suit. One cannot even imagine such support from Google while CEO of it is an Indian and has come forward to support BLM. While the abuse faced by Dalit activists continues on social media, such fake self-importance are nothing more than ‘brand activism’.
None should be surprised why companies are coming forward to take a stand on BLM and issues of racism – it’s all about business.
A 2018 survey covering 35 countries showed that 64 per cent of the consumers would reward companies that they believe took stand on societal issues. If nothing serious but at least as a symbolic gesture, American corporate has come out to support BLM. Forget about symbolic gesture, Indian equivalent has never stood against the discrimination faced by Dalits, instead have perpetuated.
Given the dismal response from the corporate world in India towards the Dalit Lives Matter movement and raising the issue of caste discrimination, Dalits are not even worth ‘brand activism’ for Indian corporate. Why does not the idea of even ‘brand activism’ on the name of caste atrocities and abuse attract Indian corporate?
Are Dalits not a big enough market? I do not think that is the reason because various studies have shown the growing purchasing power of Dalits in India, who are at the bottom of social pyramid. So, what is the reason behind such mysterious behaviour of Indian corporate?
The answer is simple. It has everything to do with caste and it is not surprising at all because the corporate world in India is infected by caste-virus – worse than the one causing Covid-19. Caste has not only followed but affected Dalits the most during Covid-19 crisis.
According to a 2012 study, about 93 per cent (of which 45 per cent are Brahmins and 46 per cent are Vaishyas) of the Indian corporate board members are from the forward castes. In another study, it was found that most mergers and acquisitions occur between directors of the same castes. Wherever there is a way, there is caste stopping your way – this proverb cannot be truer than in the Indian corporate world.
The response on #DalitLivesMatter is dismal not only from the for-profit organisations in India but also from not-for-profit organisations, forgetting their social mission. If corporate in India are serious toward their mission and want to build value–driven companies, they must not only handle their employees and customers with care but must get involved in tackling societal problems such as caste discrimination.
Also read: Black Lives Matter isn’t just challenging racism, but also the ‘both side-ism’ of journalism
#DalitLivesMatter and what Indian corporate can do about it
Here are a few things that corporate in India should do if they truly believe in equal opportunities or at least for ‘brand activism’, which would ultimately benefit them.
Caste follows employees everywhere. I understand all the above is too much to ask when board members to the majority of employees are from so-called upper castes but still organisations must try to be responsible and if not, should be made responsible for discriminatory practices. At the same time, if Indian businesses do not take stand against discrimination faced by Dalits in day to day life at the workplace, taking inspiration from Black Enterprises, Dalit Enterprises should continue to emerge, challenging Brahmin-Bania hegemony.
This article first appeared in velivada.com
Also read: From ‘Cops’ to Oscars, how Black Lives Matter changed the cultural landscape in just a week
The author is the founder-editor of Velivada, a web publication, and runs the online web portal Ambedkar Caravan. Views are personal.