I congratulate @SeattleCouncil member @cmkshama's historic ordinance to protect over 1,67,000 South Asian people living in the Greater Seattle...

Chief Minister M.K. Stalin commended Seattle City Council member Kshama Sawant for championing a historic legislative ordinance that bans caste-based discrimination, providing explicit legal protections for more than 167,000 South Asian residents in the Greater Seattle area. Stalin hailed the groundbreaking municipal law as an exemplary milestone in the global campaign against social hierarchy, emphasizing that progressive efforts to eradicate discrimination in every form deserve universal praise.

The Chief Minister observed that caste prejudices and hereditary inequalities, historically rooted in South Asia, have increasingly manifested within overseas diaspora communities, affecting employment, housing, and social interactions. By formally incorporating caste as a prohibited category within local civil rights legislation alongside race, religion, and gender, the Seattle municipal ordinance establishes a vital legal precedent for municipalities and universities across the globe. Stalin noted that legal safeguards empower oppressed communities to live with equality and self-respect.

Stalin affirmed that the Dravidian movement, inspired by the egalitarian philosophy of Periyar E.V. Ramasamy and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, has long advocated the annihilation of caste distinctions worldwide. He expressed hope that Seattle's courageous legislative initiative will inspire other international jurisdictions to enact robust protections, ensuring that universal human dignity is safeguarded everywhere.