California governor vetoes bill passed by state legislature against caste-based discrimination

California governor Gavin Newsom vetoed a landmark but controversial bill passed by the state's legislature that added caste to its basket of anti-discrimination legislation, arguing that the administration already barred discrimination across various dimensions, including caste, and the new legislation was unnecessary.

- Dhrubo Jyoti

In a sign of the divide in the diaspora on the issue, Indian-American Hindu groups welcomed the governor's decision, but prominent anti-caste and minority groups as well civil liberties bodies criticised Newsom.

Returning SB403 to the members of the California state senate on Saturday, Newsom, who is a prominent Democratic governor, said that the bill defines "ancestry" for the purposes of the Fair Employment and Housing Act, Unruh Act and the Education Act to include "caste".

But, he added, "In California, we believe everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect, no matter who they are, where they come from, who they love, or where they live.

That is why California already prohibits discrimination based on sex, race, colour, religion, ancestry, national origin, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, and other characteristics, and state law specifies that these civil rights protections shall be liberally construed."

Newsom said that because discrimination, "based on caste", was already prohibited under these existing categories, the bill was "unnecessary". "For this reason, I cannot sign this bill," he noted.