Canada (Commonwealth Union) _ The relationship between India and Canada has become increasingly strained due to a recent video posted by the Khalistani secessionist group Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), which has raised concerns among Hindu Canadians and prompted growing security worries within the Indian diaspora in Canada. The video, which has since been removed, featured a designated terrorist urging “Indo-Hindu” individuals to leave the country. The escalating diplomatic tension between India and Canada, triggered by comments from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, has led to India suspending visa services for Canadian nationals.
Chandra Arya, a parliamentarian from Trudeau’s Liberal Party, expressed concerns about “Hindu Canadians” feeling fearful and highlighted the rising security concerns among the Indian community in Canada. Arya urged people to remain vigilant and report any incidents of “Hinduphobia” to local law enforcement.
The diplomatic dispute reached a new low when Trudeau suggested that India might be involved in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian citizen designated as a Khalistani terrorist by India. India firmly rejected these allegations, resulting in both countries expelling senior diplomats and India indefinitely suspending visa services for Canadians.
Arya pointed to an SFJ video uploaded on YouTube a day after Trudeau’s comments, which has since been taken down. The video featured Gurpatwant Pannun, a Khalistani secessionist and designated terrorist, urging “Indo-Hindu” people to leave Canada. Arya expressed concerns that the Khalistani leader was trying to provoke Hindu Canadians and create divisions within the Hindu and Sikh communities in Canada. He emphasized that the majority of Sikh Canadians do not support the Khalistani movement and have strong connections with the Hindu-Canadian community.
Arya criticized the glorification of terrorism under the guise of freedom of speech and expression, highlighting that such actions would not be tolerated if targeted at other communities in Canada. Over the past year, several temples have been defaced with graffiti by Khalistani protesters, leading to a petition before the House of Commons to recognize “Hinduphobia” in the Human Rights Code. The petition has received significant support, with over 9,000 signatures.
Canadian Hindus for Harmony spokesperson Vijay Jain expressed concerns that Trudeau’s remarks could incite violence and emphasized the increasing presence of Hinduphobia in Canada. Experts have also warned of the risk of ethnic and sectarian conflicts in Canada due to the strained relations and incidents like Nijjar’s killing.
