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Google cancels Dalit activist talk on caste bias after pressure from employees, Google replies

A senior Google employee Tanuja Gupta who had invited US based Dalit activist Thenmozhi Soundararajan has also resigned from her post following employees pressure

Published

4 years ago

on

Sundar Pichai

The tech giant Google has finally replied to US based Dalit activist Thenmozhi Soundararajan whose talk on caste bias had been cancelled in April after some of their employees revolted against the company calling her a Hindu phobic and anti-Hindu.

The caste discrimination has no place in its workplace. The company also have a very clear, publicly shared policy against retaliation and discrimination in workplace, a Google spokesperson said.

The Washington post had revealed the news that the Dalit activist talk had been cancelled due to its employees continuous mails to cancel her talk. The journal has also exposed that the groups of Google’s employees sent out mass emails through the company intranet to cancel the talk on cast bias.

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Thenmozhi had then written to Google CEO Sundar Pichai saying that she was troubled by this development and that her talk will only help Google’s employees understand the issue better.

In her letter to Pichai, Thenmozhi said they are both Tamil — while he is from a Brahmin family, she is from Dalit family. Even a consultant like her is facing casteist smears in the company that he leads. Imagine what a caste-oppressed worker at Google would face if they dared to come forward, she wrote.

Thenmozhi Soundararajan, a Dalit rights activist based in the United States of America (USA) and the founder and executive director of Equality Labs, a nonprofit that advocates for Dalits, was scheduled for a talk to Google News employees on the occasion of the Dalit History Month.

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The issue also snowballed after Tanuja Gupta, the senior manager at Google who had invited Thenmozhi to deliver the talk, quit Google in protest after being pulled up for inviting her.

In her goodbye email, Gupta questioned whether Google wanted its diversity efforts to succeed. Retaliation is a normalized Google practice to handle internal criticism and women take the hit, she wrote.

In a statement, Thenmozhi said she cannot find the words to express just how traumatic and discriminatory Google’s actions were towards its employees and herself, as the company unlawfully cancelled a talk about caste equity. Caste discrimination, even unrecognized, is bad for business and it creates unsafe and hostile workplaces, she said.

This engagement will not only support Google staff and many global reporters in better understanding and covering this structural South Asian issue, but also allow Google to better support caste-oppressed journalists in a meaningful way, especially at a time when they face so much violence for covering this issue, she said.

Thenmozhi, who was formerly the president of Ambedkarites Association of North America (AANA), which has chapters across the US, Mexico and Canada, is a globally recognised anti-caste campaigner, and has been behind efforts to bring international attention to this South Asian system of social segregation.

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Mamata beater Suvendu Adhikari set to become next West Bengal CM

Suvendu Adhikari emerged as the BJP’s choice for West Bengal Chief Minister after the party’s legislature meeting in Kolkata following its historic Assembly election victory.

Published

6 hours ago

on

May 8, 2026

By

Suvendu-Adhikari

Senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari is set to become the next Chief Minister of West Bengal after being elected leader of the BJP legislature party during a key meeting in Kolkata on Thursday.

The development comes days after the BJP secured a decisive victory in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, ending the Trinamool Congress’ long rule in the state. Party leaders met in the presence of senior central leadership to finalise the chief ministerial face ahead of the swearing-in ceremony scheduled for May 9.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah attended the legislature party meeting where Adhikari’s name was formally announced. Reports said the BJP leadership backed him after he emerged as the party’s strongest face in Bengal politics over the past few years.

Adhikari played a major role in the BJP’s campaign across the state and remained one of the party’s most aggressive leaders against the ruling Trinamool Congress. He also defeated former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Bhabanipur during the Assembly elections, strengthening his position within the party.

The BJP’s victory is being viewed as a major political shift in West Bengal, where the party is set to form its first government. Adhikari, once a senior Trinamool Congress leader, had joined the BJP before the 2021 Assembly elections and later became Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly.

Following the announcement, celebrations were reported outside Adhikari’s residence in East Midnapore, with party workers distributing sweets and raising slogans in support of the BJP leader.

The swearing-in ceremony of the new BJP government is expected to take place in Kolkata on May 9, where Adhikari will officially assume charge as the Chief Minister of West Bengal.

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Suvendu Adhikari emerges frontrunner for Bengal Chief Minister post

Suvendu Adhikari has emerged as the leading candidate for the West Bengal Chief Minister post as BJP prepares to form its first government in the state. Reports suggest the new cabinet may also include two deputy chief ministers.

Published

12 hours ago

on

May 8, 2026

By

BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari has emerged as the leading contender for the post of Chief Minister in West Bengal as the party prepares to form its first government in the state following its Assembly election victory.

The BJP legislature party is scheduled to meet in Kolkata to elect its leader, a decision that is expected to formally determine the next Chief Minister. Union Home Minister Amit Shah reached Kolkata ahead of the meeting and is overseeing the selection process.

Sources cited in media reports suggest the new BJP-led government may also appoint two deputy chief ministers, a post that has remained vacant in West Bengal for nearly two decades. One of the deputy CM positions could reportedly go to a woman leader. BJP MLA Agnimitra Paul is among the names being discussed for the role.

Another deputy chief minister could be chosen from north Bengal, with former Union minister Nisith Pramanik being seen as a possible contender, according to reports. There is also speculation that the BJP leadership may consider a representative from the tribal community for a senior cabinet role.

Adhikari, who played a key role in the BJP’s election campaign, defeated Mamata Banerjee in Bhabanipur during the recently concluded Assembly elections. The BJP secured a two-thirds majority in the 294-member Assembly, paving the way for its first government in West Bengal.

The swearing-in ceremony for the new government is expected to take place on May 9 in Kolkata. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amit Shah and several senior BJP leaders are expected to attend the event.

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West Bengal BJP government set for oath ceremony as suspense over new CM continues

The BJP is preparing to form its first government in West Bengal after securing a massive Assembly election victory, with the new Chief Minister expected to be chosen during a legislature party meeting in Kolkata.

Published

16 hours ago

on

May 8, 2026

By

The Bharatiya Janata Party is preparing to form its first government in West Bengal after its decisive victory in the 2026 Assembly elections. The swearing-in ceremony of the new government is scheduled for May 9 in Kolkata, while suspense continues over the party’s Chief Ministerial choice.

According to reports, the BJP legislature party is expected to meet on Friday in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah to elect its leader formally. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amit Shah and several senior BJP leaders are likely to attend the oath-taking ceremony.

Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari has emerged as the frontrunner for the Chief Minister’s post following the BJP’s strong performance in the elections. Other names reportedly under consideration include Samik Bhattacharya, Sukanta Majumdar and Swapan Dasgupta.

The political developments come a day after Governor RN Ravi dissolved the West Bengal Legislative Assembly and state cabinet following the completion of the Assembly election process. The dissolution order was issued under Article 174(2)(b) of the Constitution after outgoing Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee declined to submit her resignation despite the Trinamool Congress losing power.

The BJP secured a clear majority in the 294-member Assembly, ending the Trinamool Congress’ 15-year rule in the state. The election outcome marks a major political shift in West Bengal, where the BJP is set to form a government for the first time.

Preparations for the swearing-in ceremony are underway at Kolkata’s Brigade Parade Ground, where senior BJP leaders and party supporters are expected to gather for the event.

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