The incident of discrimination and casteist address to a woman working in her own house had such an impact on the mind of a six-year-old girl that she even confronted her grandfather against this injustice. However, at that time the family members silenced him. However, this thing got stuck in his mind forever and he decided to fight for the rights of the underprivileged. This is the story of India’s daughter Kshama Sawant, whose initiative has made the city of Seattle the first city in America to ban discrimination based on caste and race.

This is the first time that any city in America has enacted a law against removing caste-based discrimination. Last month, Seattle City Council member and socialist leader and economist Kshama Sawant put a proposal in front of the House regarding this, which was passed by six votes against one. The surprising thing is that Kshama Sawant, who has taken the lead in getting this historic law passed, herself belongs to a Brahmin family. This is a historic step towards stopping caste discrimination. Kshama has also called for a campaign to spread this victory across America. According to him, caste discrimination is still being faced by all South Asian societies including India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka. Even though discrimination against the underprivileged is not as visible in America as it is everywhere in South Asia, discrimination is a reality here too. ,Fought first fight against injustice at the age of six

Birth of Kshama Sawant of Indian origin living in Seattle, USA 02 October in a middle class Tamil family in the city of Pune. happened. However, his entire childhood was spent in Mumbai. His mother Vasundhara Ramanujam was a history and geography teacher, while his father HT was a civil engineer by profession. That’s why there was a complete atmosphere of education in the house. Other members of the family were also associated with professions like doctors, engineers and mathematicians. That’s why there was no influence of any particular ideology in the family. Despite this, he felt social discrimination very closely and also fought against it. , One of Kshama’s childhood memories is still etched in his mind. In fact, Sawant’s grandfather, who was born and brought up in a Brahmin family, used to often call the woman working in the house with a word, which was casteist and quite derogatory. Sawant says that although a lot of care was taken of that woman, but the use of caste-indicative words was common in calling her. When she was six years old, she clashed with her grandfather over that casteist address. Now 44 Year old Kshama is fighting against the same caste discrimination in America, thousands of kilometers away from India, which she had seen since childhood.

Kshama Sawant was a part of many movements in America

Years after Kshama Sawant completed her schooling from Mumbai 1973 graduated in Computer Science from the University of Mumbai. After this, he worked as a software engineer in Mumbai for about one and a half years. Meanwhile, the family members got them married. After marriage, Kshama moved to America with her husband Vivek Sawant, who was an engineer at Microsoft. Despite being a graduate in computer science, he studied economics to understand poverty and social system and received his PhD from North Carolina State University. In the year 2006 after his Ph.D. Seattle shifted and joined the Socialist Alternative Party in the same year. , During this time he also taught at Seattle Central Community College, Seattle University and University of Washington Tacoma. Joining the Socialist Alternative Party, she was a part of many movements in America. She actively participated in many movements for women’s equality, laborers, ending the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The American Federation of Teachers Local 970 fighting against budget cuts and tuition fee hikes. ,2006 In 08 Legislature reached by defeating the Democrats who have been in charge for years

in the year 2023 forgiveness reigned Contested as a Socialist Alternative candidate for the Legislature, in which 20 Surprised everyone by getting percentage votes. He 02 Became the first socialist to be elected in a major city by defeating the Democrats. Now he represents more than 0 people. ,Activity has also been shown in Occupy Movement

September in the year In November, the ‘Occupy Wall Street’ movement began at Zuccotti Park in New York City. Later this movement spread to other cities of America as well. Kshama Sawant led this movement in Seattle City. He camped with hundreds of activists in Westlake Park. Whereas, in the year 2023 in the custody of George Floyd in America After the death, there were movements against apartheid in the whole country. India’s daughter Kshama Sawant participated in this movement started by the name of Black Lives Matter. Participated enthusiastically. She was one of the main faces of the movement. Apart from this, she has also advocated the issues of LGBT community, women’s problems and apartheid. Along with this, agitation has also been started regarding reduction in education and other social programs.

Donates her salary for the social justice movement in America

While spending her childhood in Mumbai, Kshama Sawant always saw and felt the poverty and inequality around her. After working as a computer engineer, she moved to the United States to study economics to better understand the root causes of oppression and poverty. However, she was shocked to see the inequality and poverty present in the world’s richest country. Therefore, Kshama Sawant started working as a teacher and economist as well as a social worker. As a member of the Seattle City Council, she resolved to be the voice of the workers, the youth, the downtrodden and the voiceless. Surprisingly, she only takes an average salary from the Seattle Council. She donates the rest of her salary to the social justice movement.

castePublished Date

Mon, Feb 27, 2023, 2: 17 PM IST