‘Blatant Hinduphobia,’ Hindu groups in Canada blast Khalistanis for disrupting India Day Parade
Hindu groups in Canada have expressed their anguish at what they call “blatant Hinduphobia” in the country as lawmakers conveniently look the other way. The outrage came after Toronto’s India Day Parade, held to mark India’s Independence Day, was disrupted by a pro-Khalistan protest on Sunday (Aug 18). Pro-Khalistan elements reportedly shouted slogans targeting the Hindu population of Canada, like: “Canadian Hindus go back to India.”
Apparently, Canadian police miserably failed to keep Khalistani disrupters at bay even though they had made their belligerent plans public in the days leading to the Sunday parade. The anti-India elements reportedly circulated posters in the area calling for a face-off between “Khalistan Sikhs” and “Canadian Hindus”.
Now, the Coalition of Hindus of North America or CoHNA’s Canadian unit has condemned this blatant display of hatred towards India and Hindus.
“Whether it’s a memorial service for Canada’s deadliest terror attack or Hindu festivals like Diwali and Holi, Khalistani protesters are there to harass and disrupt these gatherings with Hinduphobic chants. Over and over we see the pretext of ‘political speech against India’ used to target ordinary Canadians of the Hindu faith. If such rhetoric was directed against any other group, politicians would swiftly condemn it,” the group said in a statement
The Toronto parade was held by Panorama India to mark Independence Day, which falls on August 15.
Canadian Hindu Volunteers, another Hindu group, also condemned the anti-India actions by Khalistani elements. “Such rhetoric, if directed at any other community, would undoubtedly prompt swift and decisive action from elected officials and law enforcement,” it asserted.
It termed the disruption by Khalistanis as “despicable”, urging Canadian authorities to rein in the “extremist groups.”
“We implore Canadian authorities and elected representatives to recognise the severity of this issue, take immediate action to curb these hateful acts by extremist groups, and ensure that Hindu Canadians can live safely and with dignity. The persistence of this bigotry is a stain on Canada’s commitment to multiculturalism and must be addressed without delay,” it added.
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