The reports of the Bhagavad Gita park sign being vandalised in Canada has added to the series of hate crimes that are emerging into the mainstream, especially against Indians. The High Commission of India in Ottawa has “condemned the hate crime at the Sri Bhagavad Gita Park in Brampton” and urged the police to take action against perpetrators. The Indian government had issued an advisory a couple of weeks ago asking its people, including students, to stay vigilant due to “sharp increase” in hate crimes and “anti-India activities” in Canada.
Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown, who had earlier condemned the incident, has now denied vandalism and termed the entire episode a confusion. His tweet was followed up by the Peel Police who claimed no evidence of vandalism, adding that the blank park sign that was installed was nothing but a temporary sign.
Last month, the Leicester violence in eastern England made headlines after an unidentified mob vandalised a Hindu temple and snatched the saffron flag. Claudia Webbe, Leicester East MP Claudia, said ministers needed to clamp down on “extremist rightwing ideology” and misinformation being spread through social media.
Was the Brampton attack the first such incident in the recent past against Indians? There were media reports of a “Khalistani referendum” in Canada, and news of a Hindu temple being vandalised recently. The BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir in Toronto was allegedly defaced with “anti-India” graffiti in September, PTI had reported.
In August, an Indian-origin Punjabi radio host, Joti Singh Mann, was allegedly attacked in Brampton with axes.
On July 14, Mahatma Gandhi’s statue was defaced at a Hindu Temple in Canada.
In April, a 21-year-old Indian student from Ghaziabad, Kartik Vasudev, was shot dead at the Glen Road entrance to Sherbourne TTC station in St James Town. The police identified the suspect as Richard Jonathan Edwin, who was charged with another homicide.
In March, Harmandeep Kaur, 25, who had gone to Canada on a study visa, died after being hit on the head by a rod by a Canadian national. She hailed from Kapurthala, Punjab.
In February, there were incidents of burglary at several Hindu temples in Greater Toronto area.
Incidents of Hate Crime Against Indians in Last Two Years
On September 25, 2021: A Hindu family was attacked by two teenage boys in Mississauga while performing a Puja in park.
Last October, 23-year-old Prabhjot Singh Khatri was stabbed while getting into his vehicle outside his apartment complex.
In June, 2020, A 23-year-old Indian student Rachel Albert from Tamil Nadu was stabbed near her university in Toronto.
Hate Crimes Surge in Canada During Pandemic
According to the data released by Statistics Canada, quoted in a Reuters report, Canada has seen a sharp increase in hate crimes against different religions, race and towards sexual orientation.
There is a 72% jump in hate crime rate in Canada between 2019 and 2021, the agency said. In 2021, hate-motivated crimes targeting religion jumped 67%, those targeting sexual orientation climbed 64% and those targeting race or ethnicity rose 6%.
Minority groups in Canada have urged the government to pass an anti-racism law.
Migration is a crucial growth engine for the Canadian economy, with immigrant workers accounting for 84% of total labour force growth in the 2010s.
(With inputs from agencies)
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