A month after a Mahatma Gandhi statue in New York was vandalized, videos of a Hindu temple being vandalized in Canada surfaced on September 15 of this year. The phrases “Khalistan zindabad” and “Hindustan murdabad” were spray painted over the gates of BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir in Toronto, one of the biggest temples in Canada.
Concern has arisen since the Narendra Modi administration sent a demarche to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, expressing its displeasure and requesting that the Canadian government put a halt to the Khalistan referendum that is set to take place in Ontario on November 6.
A demarche is a formal diplomatic communication of a country’s official position, opinions, or wishes to another government or intergovernmental body on a particular issue. It frequently refers to a protest letter or petition that is delivered through official channels between governments.
The Khalistan referendum and subsequent attack on the Hindu Temple in Canada, according to the Indian government, violate India’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.
The report also indicated that the Indian Embassy in Ottawa will convey a demarche delivered by a senior Ministry of External Affairs official to the Canadian High Commission to Global Affairs, Canada, the following week.
It should be emphasized that the Trudeau administration has not taken any action to restrain the anti-Indian elements in Canada. When Trudeau took to Twitter to express his outrage over the phony referendum that Russia orchestrated in the occupied eastern areas of Ukraine, it created a juxtaposition between their silence regarding anti-Indian behavior within their own country.
The incongruity is made worse by the fact that the Canadian government has declared that every resident of Canada has the freedom and the right to gather and voice their opinions as long as they do it lawfully and in a peaceful manner. Having said that, they have also proven that the Canadian government rejects the Khalistan referendum.
The referendum is reportedly being held in a private conference venue in an Ontario suburb. On September 18, 2022, the first referendum was held in Brampton, Ontario.
Delhi has expressed concern that if the Sikh for Justice (SFJ) organization is allowed to grow, the Indian diaspora will get divided in a foreign country where students will be permitted to vote for the SFJ.
The Canadian government has been warned by the Indian security services about the risks of permitting Sikh extremist G. S. Pannu to radicalize the Sikh community and young in the name of Khalistan.
Earlier on September 19, more than 100,000 Canadian Sikhs participated in the Khalistan Referendum organized by the pro-Khalistani organization Sikhs for Justice in Brampton, Ontario (SFJ). Social media images displayed a sizable line-up of men and women waiting to cast their votes in the Khalistan Referendum.
The incident of vandalism to the Hindu temple in Ontario is still under investigation by the Canadian police. They promised to take swift action against the offender.
On September 23, the Indian government issued a warning for Indian citizens and students studying in Canada due to a dramatic rise in cases of hate crimes, sectarian violence, and anti-Indian activities.
News Mania Desk
