A new exhibition at Burnaby Village Museum delves into both the history and present-day reality of caste discrimination in Canada through stories, photos and timelines.
The exhibit Overcaste by the Poetic Justice Foundation is meant to challenge the myth that caste discrimination doesn’t exist in Canada, said a press release.
“Through personal anecdotes, historical context, and community narratives, it honours the Dalit experience, exposes the manifestations of caste-based prejudice in various spheres such as education, work, media, and relationships, and emphasizes the resilience and collective struggle of the community against systemic inequality,” said the release.
Casteism is a social hierarchy passed down through families that has been outlawed in India for more than 70 years, but it is still practiced in some areas of Canada, Burnaby councillors said last year when they unanimously voted to include caste as a protected category in the city’s equity policy.
Anita Lal, co-curator of Overcaste and co-founder of the Poetic Justice Foundation said the exhibit is designed to foster solidarity within the Punjabi community, encourage self-reflection and spark meaningful local dialogue.
“In 1906, my great-grandfather Maya Ram Mahmi became the first recorded Dalit immigrant to Canada, seeking a brighter future and escape from the social and economic oppressions he faced in India,” Lal said. “Yet, he and his descendants, including myself, have faced ongoing caste discrimination, an issue that persists over a century later.
Through the Overcaste exhibit, we aim to highlight the often-ignored problem of caste bias in Canada. This initiative seeks to amplify the Dalit Canadian narrative, which has been historically sidelined and ignored.”
Burnaby South MP and Leader of the federal NDP Jagmeet Singh attended a preview of the exhibition and said the caste system is a system of oppression that must be dismantled.
“It’s a form of violence and discrimination which is often hard to see which makes it particularly insidious,” Singh said in the release.
“Even here in Canada, caste discrimination has kept some people in our communities marginalized and excluded — simply for the family they were born into.”
Overcaste takes visitors through a series of firsthand accounts, photographs, and timelines in a visual journey into the Dalit experience in British Columbia.
Through interactive and participatory displays, visitors can learn about the challenges encountered by Dalits.
Overcaste will become a travelling exhibition intended to spread awareness about the Dalit Canadian experience internationally after its debut in Burnaby.
Overcaste exhibit at Burnaby Village Museum
- When: March 18 to 28 from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily
- Where: Burnaby Village Museum (6501 Deer Lake Ave.)
- Cost: Free admission
