Toronto, Sep 21 (IANS) Stating that Hindu Canadians are 'soft targets', Indian-origin MP Chandra Arya on Thursday urged the community to stay calm, vigilant and report incidents of Hinduphobia in the face of a recent video by a Khalistani leader threatening and asking them to leave the country.
Emboldened by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's accusations, Gurpatwant Singh Pannu, a designated Khalistani activist in India and leader of Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), asked Indo-Canadian Hindus to leave the country, leaving the community shocked and terrified.
Few days back Khalistan movement leader in Canada and the president of Sikhs for Justice which organizes the so-called referendum Gurpatwant Singh Pannun attacked Hindu-Canadians asking us to leave Canada and go back to India.
— Chandra Arya (@AryaCanada) September 20, 2023
I have heard from many Hindu-Canadians who are… pic.twitter.com/z3vkAcsUDs
The Hindu MP said that Pannun is trying to provoke the Hindu-Canadians to react and divide the Hindu and Sikh communities in Canada that are connected through family relationships and shared social and cultural ties.
"Let me be clear. Vast majority of our Canadian Sikh brothers and sisters do not support the Khalistan movement. Most Sikh Canadians may not publicly condemn the Khalistan movement for several reasons but they are deeply connected to the Hindu-Canadian community," Arya, who hails from Karnataka said.
According to him, the "direct attack" on Hindu-Canadians by Pannun is a further escalation of the recent attacks on Hindu temples and public celebration of the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by Khalistanis.
"Canada has high moral values and we fully uphold the rule of law. I can’t understand how glorification of terrorism or a hate crime targeting a religious group is allowed in the name of freedom of speech and expression," Arya said.
He further pointed out that there would be an outrage in Canada if a white supremist attacked any group of racialised Canadians asking them to get out of our country. "But apparently this Khalistani leader can get away with this hate crime," he said.
Further, Arya said that it is because Hindu Canadians keep a "low profile, they are considered a soft targets", adding that the community's success cannot be digested by the anti-Hindu elements.
Citing his own case, Arya said he has been repeatedly attacked for raising a flag with Hindu religious sacred symbol Aum on Canadian Parliament hill.
"Two well-organised groups claiming to represent their faiths have been attacking Hindu-Canadian community leaders, Hindu organisations and even me. For over ten months, I have been attacked for raising a flag with our Hindu religious sacred symbol Aum on our parliament hill," the Hindu parliamentarian stated.
Members of the Hindu community started coming to Canada 100 years ago. The community has people who migrated from India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Southeast Asia and even Africa.
According to Statistics Canada, as reported in the 2021 Census, Hindus rose from 1.0 per cent to 2.3 per cent (close to 830,000 people) of total Canadian population from 2001 to 2021.
November is celebrated as Hindu Heritage Month in Canada. Arya's strong statement comes as Pannun announced that protests are slated to take place outside Indian consulates in Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver on September 25, calling for expulsion of Indian High Commissioner Sanjay Verma.
Pannun's SFJ will be holding a referendum in Canada on October 29, which will ask voters whether Verma was responsible for the death of Khalistani leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar outside a Sikh temple in Surrey in June this year.
Timeline of events surrounding killing of B.C. temple leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced in Parliament Monday that there is "credible" intelligence linking agents of the Indian government to the shooting death of a Sikh temple leader in Surrey, B.C. Hardeep Singh Nijjar was the president of the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara and a leader in the Sikh independence movement in Canada.
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July 22, 2022: Indian authorities announce a cash reward for information leading to Nijjar's arrest, accusing him of involvement in an alleged attack on a Hindu priest in India.
June 18, 2023: Nijjar is shot dead in a vehicle in the parking lot of the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara, sparking a large protest outside the temple.
June 19: A close associate of Nijjar's says the temple leader had been warned by Canadian intelligence officials about possibly being targeted before the shooting.
June 21: Police say they are searching for two suspects who may have escaped the scene on foot through a nearby park, where they met a getaway vehicle.
June 24: Protesters gather outside Vancouver's Indian consulate, shouting slogans advocating for an independent Sikh state in India.
June 25: Nijjar's funeral is held at the gurdwara, reportedly attended by thousands.
July 4: Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly denounces posters blaming Indian diplomats for Nijjar's death as "unacceptable."
Aug. 16: Homicide investigators say they are seeking a third suspect in the case who may have been the driver of a getaway car.
Sept. 3: The Surrey School District cancels the rental of a local school for the Sikh referendum and organizers threaten legal action.
Sept. 10: A referendum vote is held at the Surrey gurdwara where Nijjar was killed, and organizers say the large turnout led to the scheduling of a second vote on Oct. 29 for those who could not vote.
Sept. 18: Trudeau addresses the House of Commons saying the allegations of Indian involvement in Nijjar's killing is "credible," and Joly says Canada is ordering one diplomat to leave.
Sept. 19: The Indian government expels a senior Canadian diplomat, citing growing concerns over "interference" in the country's internal matters.
Sept. 20: India warns its citizens in a travel advisory to "exercise utmost caution" in Canada due to "anti-India activities," hate crimes and violence. It directs the message particularly at Indian students.
Sept. 21: India halts all visa services for Canadian citizens, saying it anticipates Ottawa will reduce its diplomatic presence in India. Global Affairs Canada says its high commission and all its consulates in India are open.
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