Frequently Asked Questions

Below are answers to common questions about CasteGate: The Untold Story, the Cisco caste case, SB 403, and the film’s purpose.

Why was the documentary made?

The filmmakers made CasteGate because they believed that claims made by activist organizations and the state agency during the Cisco case and the SB 403 campaign had not received careful evidentiary scrutiny. The documentary draws on court records, interviews and other source material to examine those questions directly.

Why is it called CasteGate?

The suffix “Gate” is commonly used to describe a public controversy involving alleged institutional failure, misconduct or concealment. The filmmakers chose CasteGate because the film argues that the controversy went far beyond the original allegations of caste discrimination at Cisco. It raises questions about the investigation of those allegations, the treatment of evidence, the conduct of government agencies and advocacy organisations, and the use of contested claims about caste in media coverage, public institutions and eventually legislation such as SB 403.

The title refers to the wider controversy the film investigates: not whether caste discrimination should be opposed, but whether institutions entrusted with protecting civil rights acted with sufficient evidence, fairness, due process and accountability.

Does the film deny that caste discrimination exists?

No. The filmmakers unequivocally condemn caste discrimination and believe that anyone who experiences it deserves protection. The film grew out of a concern that the public conversation about caste in America was moving ahead without sufficient attention to the evidence, the people at the centre of the allegations and the consequences for a wider community. CasteGate examines the allegations, evidence and institutional responses surrounding the Cisco case and asks whether they received adequate scrutiny. It also investigates whether the wider campaign against caste discrimination in America has contributed to stereotypes about Hindu Americans. The film approaches these questions through evidence, testimony and the public record, with particular attention to due process, institutional accountability and protection against collective prejudice.

What happened to the Cisco case?

In April 2023, the California Civil Rights Department voluntarily dismissed its claims against Sundar Iyer and Ramana Kompella. Its litigation against Cisco Systems continued.

What happened to SB 403?

California SB 403 sought to clarify that caste was encompassed within "ancestry" for purposes of several California civil-rights statutes. The Legislature passed the bill in 2023. Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed it on 7 October 2023, stating that discrimination based on caste was already prohibited under existing protected categories and that the bill was therefore unnecessary.

The film unequivocally condemns caste discrimination while asking whether the Cisco case and the wider public debate received the evidentiary scrutiny, procedural fairness and institutional accountability that civil-rights enforcement requires.