Thousands march in solidarity after pro-Khalistani attack on Canada Hindu temple

Thousands of Canadian Hindus marched in solidarity outside the Hindu Sabha temple in Brampton a day after it was attacked by pro-Khalistanis.

The march on Monday night was organised by the Coalition of Hindus in North America (CoHNA). “Over a thousand Canadian Hindus have gathered in Brampton to protest against the increasingly brazen attacks on Hindu Temples. Yesterday, during the sacred Diwali weekend, Canadian Hindu temples, coast to coast, came under attack. We ask Canada to stop this Hinduphobia now,” the Hindu advocacy group tweeted.

The participants carried the flags of Canada and India, as well as those saying ‘Jai Shri Ram’. People also shouted anti-Khalistan slogans. While one attendee said that Hindus in Canada have been consistently discriminated against for about 20 years, another urged Canada to treat Hindus right.

“Hindu Canadians are very loyal to Canada. What is happening to Hindu Canadians is not right. The time has come for all politicians to know that what is happening to Hindu Canadians is wrong. We want Canada to treat Hindus well. We want India and Canada relations to strengthen. We are against those who do this,” a participant told news agency ANI.

Another attendee said the gathering at Brampton on Monday night was “to protest what happened to us”. “It has been happening to us for about 20 years. We have been consistently discriminated against. We have gathered here to showcase how we were discriminated against by the police yesterday. Despite that, all Hindus have gathered and protested here peacefully.”

On Sunday, people carrying Khalistani flags clashed with devotees at the Hindu Sabha temple. Unverified videos that have gone viral on social media showed the protesters carrying pro-Khalistan banners and flags. So far, the police have arrested three people in connection with the incident.

The Peel Regional Police said the people were arrested in connection with assault with a weapon and assaulting a police officer. Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned the attack on Monday, asking the government in Ottawa to “ensure justice and uphold the rule of law”.

“I strongly condemn the deliberate attack on a Hindu temple in Canada. Equally, appalling are the cowardly attempts to intimidate our diplomats. Such acts of violence will never weaken India’s resolve. We expect the Canadian government to ensure justice and uphold the rule of law,” he tweeted.

This was his first statement against the ongoing violence by pro-Khalistani supporters on Canadian soil. The attack also drew condemnation from Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who said that every Canadian has the fundamental right to practice their faith freely and safely.

Trudeau was, however, slammed for not condemning “Khalistani extremism” and giving it a free pass. This temple attack incident came amid worsening ties between India and Canada. Bilateral relations nosedived in September 2023 when Trudeau claimed that Canadian security agencies had credible allegations linking Indian government agents to the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

New Delhi has labelled the Khalistani sympathiser a terrorist, linking him to various violent activities, including a 2007 movie theatre bombing in Punjab and the 2009 murder of Sikh politician Rulda Singh. But Canada refused to take action against him and also failed to curtail other pro-Khalistan elements, who have continued to organise so-called Khalistan referendums.