A visiting member of Parliament from India has reiterated his stand against caste-based oppression in the world's largest so-called democracy.

Dharamvir Gandhi is an MP from Punjab and belongs to the opposition Aam Aadmi Party. He is on a Canada-wide tour to engage in dialogue on pressing issues with nonresident Indians concerned with the current political and social situation in India.

Gandhi is known for his opposition to discrimination based on caste.

Indian society is divided in four caste groups. The lowest on the ladder are Dalits, or "untouchables", who are often denied entry into Hindu temples despite a ban on this practice. Sikhism is widely followed in Punjab and banishes the caste system, yet Dalits are discriminated against in the state.

Gandhi's visit coincides with the Vaisakhi festivities being held in Canada. The tenth master of the Sikhs, Guru Gobind Singh, tried to eradicate the caste system by creating an army of devout Sikhs from among oppressed communities on Vaisakhi in 1699.

According to Gandhi, despite the glorious history of Sikhism, Dalits continue to face prejudice in villages in Punjab. He noted that not only Sikh temples but also the crematoria are divided on the basis of caste.

"The dead belonging to Dalit families are forced to be cremated separately—because of which Dalits continue to ask for financial help to make their own crematoriums," Gandhi said. 

He noted that he has been approached by Dalits from at least 18 villages for such help since being elected in 2014.

Gandhi has made it mandatory in his constituency of Patiala that if any village wants assistance from his discretionary quota of funds, it will have to ensure that there won't be separate crematoriums on the basis of caste.

"Over 150 villages have now given this assurance in writing," he said.

There was a big applause when he stated this during his speech at a public dialogue organized by the Mein Punjab Bolda Haan group in Surrey on Friday evening.

Both Gandhi and the organizers emphasized that the event was apolitical where mainly social issues were being discussed, such as casteism, substance abuse, and the environment.

The organizers also honoured Gandhi for his progressive ideas.

Apart from talking about the caste system, he also said that he wants opium and marijuana to be legalized in Punjab to reduce harm and violence by taking away the profit element. He pointed out that such a progressive approach is also working in Canada and Europe.