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Woodside street naming honors a Sikh reformer and opponent of caste discrimination
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Arun Venugopal
Published Sep 15, 2024
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By
Arun Venugopal
Published Sep 15, 2024
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Queens residents and members of the Sikh community will gather Sunday for a street co-naming honoring Guru Ravidass, a 14th century Indian poet and social reformer who pushed for an end to caste distinctions.
The street co-naming of “Shri Guru Ravidass Marg,” will take place outside the Shri Guru Ravi Dass Temple in Woodside. The area already has a history of commemorating reformers and the dismantling of caste-based discrimination. The temple was established in 1987, after two devotees were excluded from another gurdwara – or Sikh temple – in Queens because of their caste. And in 2023, the intersection was co-named to honor Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, a lawyer who was born into the low-caste and formerly “untouchable” Dalit community. Ambedkar led a nationwide fight against caste discrimination and also oversaw the drafting of India’s constitution after the country secured its independence in 1947.
A street is co-named “Shri Guru Ravidass Marg” outside the Shri Guru Ravi Dass Temple in Woodside
Courtesy the office of Councilmember Shekar Krishnan
Caste-based discrimination is still “very much a lived reality, outside of even the Hindus, among the practices of Sikhs, among the practices of Muslims among the practice of Christians” within the South Asian diaspora, according to Harinder Singh, a senior fellow at the New Jersey-based Sikh Research Institute.
He pointed to an ongoing caste discrimination lawsuit brought against Cisco by a former employee and a 2018 report by the group Equality Labs that found “caste definitively exists in the diaspora.” In recent years, under pressure from students and activists, dozens of colleges and universities – including Barnard and Columbia – have instituted protections against caste discrimination, as has the City of Seattle. An interfaith effort to pass a state law in California failed after Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed the measure.
And an August 2024 Sikh Research Institute report co-authored by Harinder Singh noted that “caste in the US has endured since the initial struggle for South Asian American citizenship” in the early 20th century.
Prachi Patankar, a writer and activist who frequently works on caste discrimination issues, said it was “important” to see the street co-naming of Ravidass near one honoring Ambedkar.
“Caste plays such a big role in the South Asian American community,” said Patankar. “Communities across different religions work together because it is something that they need to unite around in the United States.”
Jaswinder Singh, the president of the Shri Guru Ravi Dass Temple, said he was “very excited” about the street naming and that the event celebrated the ideals that Ravidass advocated.
“He say everybody is same,” said Jaswinder Singh.
Guru Ravidass was born into a low-caste family in India in the 14th century, and according to one online biography, he became a “protagonist of equality, human rights and universal brotherhood” who advocated for an end to discrimination on the basis of “caste, colour, sex, faith, country.”
Councilmember Shekar Krishnan, the first Indian American and Hindu to serve in the Council, will preside over the co-naming ceremony.
“‘Shri Guru Ravidass Marg’ honors a poet-saint who was revered by Dalits and Sikhs around the world,” said Krishnan in a statement.
“Located by the Shri Guru Ravidass temple, a cherished institution, it will be a permanent reminder that in New York City, all peoples deserve recognition and dignity, regardless of religion or caste,” said Krishnan. “I can’t think of a more critical moment to remind ourselves of our common humanity through this celebration.”
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Race And Justice Unit
Arun Venugopal
Arun Venugopal is a senior reporter for the WNYC and Gothamist Race & Justice Unit who focuses on issues of race and bias in our region. His reporting also tackles the topics of immigration, faith, and inequality. Arun serves as the regular fill-in host of the station's "U.S. of Anxiety" program. Arun was the creator and host of Micropolis, a series about race and identity. He is a contributor to NPR's Morning Edition and All Things Considered. He has appeared on PBS Newshour, On the Media and Studio 360, and has been published in The Guardian, The Wall Street Journal and Salon. He also frequently serves as an emcee and moderator of panel discussions on race, religion, and identity issues and has been a guest host of NPR's "Fresh Air." He lives with his family in Queens.
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