Eminent Dalit artists are hosting a global virtual concert to raise awareness and demand that big tech companies like Google actively protect their caste-oppressed workers by making them a protected category in all the countries in which they do business.
Radical Rhythms is being organised by Equality Labs in partnership with Alphabet Workers Union (AWU), Neelam Social and Ambedkar Association of North America.
"This is a historic moment as we host internationally recognised Dalit artists and speakers to show that the impact of Google's unwillingness to address caste in its workplaces and products is a global workers' and human rights issue," Alphabet Workers Union said in a statement on Monday.
"This event holds great significance in bringing attention to caste in a global context which has been time and again thwarted by dominant caste Hindu groups and bureaucracy," said Sumeet Samos, an Indian anti-caste scholar and a rap artist.
The concert on August 10 will feature international artists uniting to center the fight for caste equity in light of the recent caste discrimination at Google.
The lineup for the show includes Isaivani - Gaana artist from Tamil Nadu; Seyilrani and Lalitha- Oppari artists from Gangai Konda Cholapuram, Tamil Nadu; Sumeet Samos- writer and anti-caste rapper from Odisha (currently at Oxford); rapper Mahi from Maharashtra and Abisha - filmmaker and rapper from Chennai.
Google spokesperson Shannon Newberry in June said, "Caste discrimination has no place in our workplace. We also have a very clear, publicly shared policy against retaliation and discrimination in our workplace."
PTI
