Why are we watching a documentary about caste in the UK when caste issues in India are more pressing?
Caste issues are indeed more prevalent in countries such as India. However, as a journalist reporting on the British-Asian community, we recognised that this was an issue very close to the hearts of many here in the UK. We also recognised that there was no resource that adequately summarised the issue for those who wanted to get involved, but might not have been following from the beginning. Caste Aside, and our website with additional material, aims to provide that resource for the British-Indian community. 
 

When will the British Government make a decision about caste legislation? 
We do not know. The British Government concluded its public consultation on caste legislation in September 2017. However, there is no definite answer as to when a decision will be taken on this. We hope that this documentary will remind them of the pressing need to find an answer to this issue that lies at the heart of the British-Indian community. 
 

How can I get more involved in the issue? 
The filmmakers behind this documentary are not activists or campaigners. Therefore, if you would like to find out how you can play a larger role in the issue of caste legislation in the UK, we strongly recommend you get in touch with the campaigners featured in our documentary. Satpal Muman (Caste Watch UK) and Meena Varma (Dalit Solidarity Network UK) are extremely active on the pro-legislation side of the debate, while Satish Sharma (National Council of Hindu Temples UK) and Anil Bhanot (Hindu Council UK) are the best people to advise you on the anti-legislation side of the debate. We would be happy to facilitate an introduction between you and them. 
 

Who are the filmmakers behind Caste Aside?
Our Director and Cinematographer is Damiano Petrucci, a full-time videographer. Our Producer is Priyanka Mogul, a freelance journalist. You can read more about them here. 
 

Who funded Caste Aside?
Caste Aside was funded through the filmmakers' own pockets and completed in their own time, alongside their full-time jobs. There is no agency, media publication, organisation or charity backing this project. 
 

How were people chosen to feature in Caste Aside? 
The filmmakers approached an equal number of well known people on both sides of the debate. The ones who appear in the documentary are the ones who kindly agreed to spare some time to speak to us about the issue. You can read more about their backgrounds here.
 

Is Caste Aside a comprehensive resource on caste legislation in the UK? 
No. The filmmakers  behind this project are not experts on caste issues, caste legislation or UK law. The documentary is a piece of journalism based on interviews we did, however, we strongly recommend that you watch this documentary with the understanding that there is a lot more information out there and that Caste Aside is only a small piece of a much larger picture. We have compiled a page of additional resources, as well as extracts from our interviews that did not make it into the documentary. You can view all of this here.