5 days ago
Fuelled by rising xenophobia, incidents of Hinduphobia continue to escalate in Canada
Toronto: From a rath yatra in Toronto pelted with eggs and a river ritual attracting attacks to temples being vandalised, incidents of Hinduphobia continue to escalate in Canada, fuelled by rising xenophobia in the country. Ganga aarti being performed on the banks of the Credit river in the Greater Toronto Area on July 4. (Credit: Consulate General of India/X)
The rath yatra or chariot fest, an annual event, organised by ISKCON in Toronto, was disrupted as eggs were tossed at the procession by unidentified miscreants on Saturday.
That left members of the congregation shocked since the rath yatra is a Toronto staple, with this being its 53rd edition. 'Anti-immigration sentiment is feeding into this,' a committee member of ISKCON Toronto told the Hindustan Times.
A police report was filed. In a statement, ISKCON Communications North America said it 'strongly condemns this disrespectful and potentially dangerous act. There is no place for such behaviour in a multicultural and tolerant society like Canada'.
'We are grateful that no serious injuries occurred, and we commend the prompt response of law enforcement. We urge that the individuals responsible be held accountable under applicable laws,' the released issued on Monday added.
India also reacted. In a statement, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on Monday, 'Such despicable acts are regrettable and are against the spirit of the festival, which seeks to promote unity, inclusivity, and social harmony.'
He added that New Delhi had 'strongly taken up the matter with Canadian authorities to hold the perpetrators of the act accountable' and hoped Ottawa 'will take necessary action to protect the religious rights of people'.
This incident came just days after as a Ganga Aarti on the banks of the Credit river in the Greater Toronto Area or GTA town of Mississauga came in for xenophobic attacks online.
The Aarti was performed on July 4 and when Mississauga city councillor Dipika Damerla posted a video of its online, some of the reaction was racist and critical. In a response, she said the post 'got a lot of love but also a lot of hate and misinformation'.
'Nothing, not even flowers were put into the river' which, along with the site, were 'left pristine' after the ritual was performed, she said. She said the Ganga aarti could be performed at any river to honour them for providing 'life sustenance to all of us'.
In April, the Sri Krishna Brundavana Temple in the town of Georgetown in Ontario was vandalised. That followed a spate of incidents of vandalisation of Hindu temples across country between 2023 and 2024. At least 20 temples were targeted during that period and desecrated often with pro-Khalistan and anti-India graffiti spray-painted on their walls and exteriors.
These incidents come as anti-immigration sentiment has grown in Canada in recent years following the high numbers of newcomers entering the country due to the policies of the government of former prime minister Justin Trudeau. As the largest and most visible cohort, Indians have been the principle targets of the growing xenophobic trend. 'There is anti-immigration narrative building in Canada and the growth of Hinduphobia is part of that,' immigration professional Naresh Chavda said. He added that the sentiment has been aggravated by the actions against immigrants taken by the administration of President Donald Trump in the United States.
In November last year, there was a violent invasion of the Hindu Sabha Mandir in Brampton by pro-Khalistan protesters, resulting in multiple arrests.
'It's unacceptable that in a country priding itself on multiculturalism, Hindu Canadians must constantly defend their right to exist and worship peacefully,' Rishabh Sarswat, president of the Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA) Canada, said. He called on all levels of government and law enforcement to 'address this growing threat seriously'.
The spate of hate targeting Hindus has often been met with silence from the federal government and lack of police action in the form of arrests.
In October 2023, an e-petition for the recognition of Hinduphobia in Canada was moved by GTA resident Vijay Jain and attracted over 25,000 signatures. It was presented in the House of Commons by its sponsoring MP Melissa Lantsman. However, there was no action from the government, other than an anodyne response thanking the petitioner 'for expressing their concerns regarding the growing negative stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination of Hindus in Canada'.
