Latest news with #Punjabi-speaking
Time of India
6 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
No boys, no meat, no logic: NRI lambasts Indian-Canadian landlords over 'embarrassing' rental advertisements
An Indian woman currently residing in Canada recently raised a critical concern about biased rental practices among Indian landlords abroad . In a widely discussed Reddit post, she conveyed her disappointment and embarrassment at encountering housing advertisements that impose exclusionary preferences rooted in caste, religion, native language, or even dietary habits. These discriminatory tendencies, she noted, are distressingly common in rental listings circulating within South Asian immigrant from her personal experiences, the woman shared how such ads frequently specify conditions like 'only Gujarati girl,' 'Punjabi-speaking vegetarian preferred,' or 'South Indian girls only—no boys allowed.' Some listings even go further, insisting tenants must be strictly vegetarian, barring even outside non-vegetarian food, or stating that only individuals speaking a specific language or following a particular religion will be considered suitable. To her, these expectations felt deeply regressive and out of place in a multicultural, law-governed society like didn't shy away from pointing out how these landlords seem to be ignoring the legal frameworks in place that prohibit discrimination in housing. Her post raised a significant question: Why do some landlords behave as though they're still operating under informal, unchecked systems from back home, despite living in a country with established human rights laws?The woman urged that if landlords are so rigid about who they want living in their properties based on language, background, or food habits, they should consider alternative arrangements—like living with family or not renting the space out at all. She argued that being a tenant does not mean one has to match the landlord's personal preferences. As long as renters respect the lease, pay rent on time, and abide by legal guidelines, their cultural background or dietary preferences should not be a post sparked a flood of responses, many echoing her sentiments. One user shared their experience in Vancouver, advising against renting from South Asian landlords due to recurring issues such as lack of privacy, unannounced visits, and poor communication. They recalled an absurd listing that offered free rent to a woman, provided she cooked daily for five male tenants—an offer that felt more like a bizarre matrimonial ad than a housing user recounted being shown a cramped room that had to be shared with a stranger, separated only by a flimsy screen, and said they've avoided Indian landlords ever since. Yet, some voices in the thread defended the landlords, claiming property owners have the freedom to select tenants who align with their personal comfort debate continues online, highlighting the urgent need for awareness, respect for laws, and a more inclusive mindset within diaspora communities.
News18
6 days ago
- Politics
- News18
NRI Slams Indian Landlords In Canada Over ‘Moronic' Rental Ads: ‘Blatant Exclusion…'
Last Updated: The woman expressed her frustration and embarrassment with the exclusionary nature of rental listings like preferences based on caste, religion, language within Indian communities. An Indian woman in Canada has voiced her frustration over discriminatory rental practices within Indian communities abroad. In a now viral Reddit post, the woman expressed her frustration and embarrassment with the exclusionary nature of rental listings like preferences based on caste, religion, language or dietary choices, frequently seen in South Asian circles. 'I'm an Indian living in Canada and honestly, I'm beyond frustrated and embarrassed by the kind of rental ads I keep seeing," she said. 'It's always something like 'Only Gujarati girl,' or 'Punjabi-speaking vegetarian girl preferred,' or 'South Indian girls only, no boy inquiries please.' Some go as far as saying 'Strictly vegetarian, no non-veg even from outside,' or 'We are looking for someone who speaks our mother tongue only,' 'follow our religion only,'" she described. Questioning the landlords' intentions, the woman accused them of ignoring housing discrimination laws. 'You're not in India anymore, where you can get away with putting up caste, language and dietary restrictions in rental ads like it's normal," she added. 'If you're that picky about language, food, and background, maybe just don't rent the place out? Or live with your family? This isn't a matchmaking service. They're not requesting to marry you. I can eat whatever I want or speak in whatever language I want as long as I'm following the lease agreements and paying you the rent. I also don't have to be an 'Indian only' to rent from you. This is so insanely moronic," she wrote. Netizens React The post has garnered significant support online. 'Been in vancouver for a few years now & from my experience, never rent from desi landlords. No sense of privacy, basic manners like taking permission & minimum 24 hour notice before showing up.. etc. Funniest for me was this one ad went like : Need a sister for 5 brothers currently living in 6 bedroom house. No rent required, only make fresh food daily for her new 5 brothers.. true story!," a user commented. Another wrote, 'When I moved to Vancouver pre Covid, I was looking for an accommodation and some Indian landlord showed me a place where I had to share a room with another person with a screen which divided our bed. From then never went with Indian landlords and am happy with that decision till now." Others, however, argued that since the landlords owned the property, they had the right to choose who lived there according to their preferences. First Published: June 06, 2025, 20:44 IST
Hindustan Times
6 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
NRI woman blasts Indian landlords in Canada over 'no boys, veg only' rental ads: 'Insanely moronic'
An Indian woman living in Canada has voiced frustration over discriminatory rental ads posted by Indian landlords abroad. In a Reddit post addressed to the NRI community, she expressed embarrassment at listings that specify preferences based on caste, religion, language or dietary choices. 'I'm an Indian living in Canada and honestly, I'm beyond frustrated and embarrassed by the kind of rental ads I keep seeing,' she wrote in a Reddit post addressed to the NRI community. 'It's always something like 'Only Gujarati girl,' or 'Punjabi-speaking vegetarian girl preferred,' or 'South Indian girls only, no boy inquiries please.' Some go as far as saying 'Strictly vegetarian, no non-veg even from outside,' or 'We are looking for someone who speaks our mother tongue only,' 'follow our religion only,'' she wrote, adding that such ads had left her shocked. Questioning the landlords' intentions, the woman accused them of ignoring housing discrimination laws. 'You're not in India anymore, where you can get away with putting up caste, language and dietary restrictions in rental ads like it's normal,' she added. While she said she understood homeowners wanting compatibility with tenants, she criticised these kinds of advertisements for promoting blatant exclusion. 'If you're that picky about language, food, and background, maybe just don't rent the place out? Or live with your family? This isn't a matchmaking service. They're not requesting to marry you. I can eat whatever I want or speak in whatever language I want as long as I'm following the lease agreements and paying you the rent. I also don't have to be an 'Indian only' to rent from you. This is so insanely moronic,' she wrote. The post drew mixed reactions from social media users living outside India. While some agreed with her sentiments, others called her out for targeting 'individual preferences.' 'I have been in Vancouver for a few years now, and from my experience, never rent from desi landlords. No sense of privacy, basic manners like taking permission and a minimum 24-hour notice before showing up,' said one of them. Another wrote, 'This is the biggest red flag for moving into an apartment. You are basically going to move back to India the moment you step into this house.' Others, however, argued that since the landlords owned the property, they had the right to choose who lived there according to their preferences.
The Print
15-05-2025
- Politics
- The Print
Asim Munir is the first Punjabi general to attack India. It's sociologically important
The Punjabi advantage becomes that much more accentuated given that Gen Munir has a number of other firsts to his credit, and not all military. They add to his status in an Army dominated by his linguistic kin. Given Pakistan's military engagement with India during the recently conducted Operation Sindoor, Gen Munir has also become the first Pakistani COAS to have taken his country into conflict with all of its neighbours. GHQ Rawalpindi had earlier launched ground and aerial operations against Afghanistan and Iran. Attacks on India complete the circle. This is an extraordinary undertaking for someone who is just about halfway through his tenure. Gen Munir clearly came with an agenda and is making the most of his opportunity, uncaring about the larger consequences that are likely to come Pakistan's way, and its neighbours' way. General Asim Munir is the first Punjabi Army Chief to lead Pakistan into a conflict with India, but there's more to it. For an overwhelmingly Punjab-dominated Army in a largely Punjabi-speaking country, his command carries an extra gravitas, especially given the historical animosity with India. As does the fact that a large number of Punjabis in Pakistan are migrants from India, with memories of lands lost, estates vanished, lives uprooted, and haloed lifestyles recounted through misty mythologies of memory. Gen Asim Munir is also likely the first Punjabi-speaking Syed to head the Pakistan Army, sociologically deeply significant. Also read: What is Asim Munir thinking? Munir's many firsts Gen Munir attended a Rawalpindi seminary, possibly making him the first COAS to be madrasa educated. The number of firsts continued to grow as he progressed professionally, but all that after he got a commission from the Officers Training School (OTS) at Mangala in 1986, while Gen Zia ul Haq was still leading the country. He has won the coveted Sword of Honour and is the first COAS to have done so at OTS. Gen Munir was commissioned in 23 Frontier Force Regiment, which he subsequently commanded. During his posting to Saudi Arabia as a Lieutenant Colonel, he memorised the Quran. Which earned him the prefix of Hafiz. He is the first Pakistan Army Chief to have managed that achievement. It was clearly a sign of things to come, particularly for a higher-born Syed whose family was uprooted from Jalandhar in 1947. He served in Pakistan's Siachen Brigade as a Lt Col. He eventually worked his way up to GOC Force Command Northern Areas, deployed against India across Siachen and Kargil as well. The sight of India dominating the heights in Siachen and the Kargil sector Line of Control must have brutally revived those refugee memories from Jalandhar. Gen Munir moved down from the heights to occupy the office of Director General Military Intelligence and then Director General Inter-Services Intelligence. He is the first COAS to have occupied both appointments. Certainly, no one else has deeper insight into political, social and other permanent policies as practised by GHQ Rawalpindi. For a Saudi-qualified Hafiz, with a head full of memories, inherited from those who travelled across a hastily carved Punjab border, Gen Munir had the shortest tenure as DG-ISI. He reportedly fell out of favour with Imran Khan when he told the PM that his to-be wife had her hand in the till. Khan's days as PM were numbered; he was being watched by GHQ Rawalpindi. Dodgy elections and dodgier political manipulation meant that once blue-eyed Khan was out and the coalition Sharif government was in. The coalition gave an extension of service to Gen Asim Munir to make him Chief of Army Staff, and then amended the Pakistan Army Act to give him a five-year tenure. He's the first Army Chief to have been legislatively accorded a doubled tenure. He will remain in office till November 2027, giving him plenty of time to see his vision implemented. Also read: Pahalgam massacre has blown Pakistan's cover. Asim Munir turned the clock back Guided by memory Even as he wears military awards bestowed by Bahrain and Turkey, Gen Asim Munir clearly has a regional agenda. An agenda that has been shaped by Pakistan's politico-military history, and also the sectarian memories carried over the years by its leadership. And none more obvious than General Hafiz Syed Asim Munir Ahmad Shah, Chief of Army Staff, Pakistan. In his case, these memories, accumulated over centuries as the waters of Sutlej and Beas seasonally tore into valuable arable land, even as migrants from Afghanistan continued to flow into the Doaba, occupying dwindling agricultural lands. And all the while, Hindus and Sikhs seemed to grow bolder, in a distinctly Muslim pluralistic district of Jalandhar, from where such memories of resentment travelled into newly born Pakistan, stopping first in Toba Tek Singh and then settling in Rawalpindi. Gen Munir was born in 1968 in Rawalpindi, when the state and the army remained oblivious to the alarming downturn of events in East Pakistan. Pakistan was preening, given the perceived stalemate of the 1965 war with India, its romance with Washington once again on the upswing as the US wooed China. Syed Sarwar Munir, a principal of a technical school, saw his son Asim arrive in an uprooted Punjabi-speaking household, which, fueled by memory, easily found identifiable enemies to the east and west, Afghan, Hindu and Sikh. Jalandhar has given Pakistan another Chief of Army Staff, Gen Zia ul-Haq, the progenitor of politico-military jihad across both the Afghan and Indian borders. And like his fellow Doabi successor two generations later, Gen Zia also had a devout mosque going father. Gen Zia was born in Jalandhar and opted for the Pakistan Army after the Partition of India, whereas Gen Munir carries his origins only in memory form, not on his birth certificate. But the power of these memories are so intense that Gen Munir doesn't hesitate while telling Pakistani university students, 'When it comes to the safety and security of every single Pakistani, the whole of Afghanistan can be damned.' Afghanistan was the only country that opposed Pakistan's admission to the United Nations after independence, he said, adding that the problem is that 'our people do not read history'. History, as Gen Munir's example shows, creates its own vault of memories. He has repeatedly enunciated the storehouse of his inherited memories, sparing none, in the east or west. In the same carefully orchestrated interaction with students from public and private universities in Pakistan, Gen Munir revisited the idea of Pakistan based on the two-nation theory. Reminding them, 'If we want to adopt Western civilisation, then why did we get rid of Hindu civilisation?' he said. These statements providing a clear insight into his frame of mind were made in public platforms more than a year before he said those gratin, oft-repeated sectarian remarks, which preceded the ghastly Pahalgam attack of 22 April 2025. With half his tenure still to come, much can be expected from Gen Munir. Unlike some of his predecessors who rejected warlike words and even invited Indian journalists to Pakistan military formations, Gen Munir has been hawkish on the neighbourhood, and brutally dismissive about the calibre of politicians. Given Pakistan's political processes and precedents, anything is possible between the government that selected him as Army Chief and his ambitions. For now, Gen Munir remains unfazed as he chases down his memories. He's clearly carrying plenty of baggage, so the ceasefire may well be a pause, unless enforced politically. Manvendra Singh is a BJP leader, Editor-in-Chief of Defence & Security Alert and Chairman, Soldier Welfare Advisory Committee, Rajasthan. He is writing a book on the IPKF. He tweets @ManvendraJasol. Views are personal. (Edited by Theres Sudeep)
SBS Australia
24-04-2025
- Politics
- SBS Australia
Voices from SBS Election Exchange in Calwell. What matters most this election?
Home to major Victorian suburbs including Craigieburn, Mickleham, Kalkallo, Broadmeadows, and Greenvale - Calwell is one of Australia's most multicultural electorates. The top concerns for local Punjabi-speaking voters included rising interest rates, cost-of-living pressures, and calls for more compassionate parent visa policies. Local Punjabi-speaking voters voiced their top concerns, including rising interest rates, cost-of-living pressures, and calls for more compassionate parent visa policies. Neeraj Jasrai, a representative from the Australian Electoral Commission, also joined the conversation and offered essential information about the voting process. Through Election Exchange, SBS is amplifying real community voices of everyday Australians, aiming to break down political issues for multicultural communities, ahead of the May 03 vote. For news, information, and interviews in Punjabi from Australia and the homeland, tune into SBS Punjabi live, Monday to Friday at 4 pm, on , digital radio (channel 305 on your television) or via the . You can also stream directly from our . Don't forget to follow us on and for updates and more!
