A Swaminarayan Mandir temple managed by the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Sanstha (BAPS) in the Canada’s Edmonton on July 22, 2024.
| Photo Credit: X@HinduAmericanFoundation

A Swaminarayan Mandir temple managed by the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Sanstha (BAPS) in the Canadian city of Edmonton has been vandalised with alleged hateful and anti-India graffiti, amidst rising Hinduphobia in the country.

Also read: Hindu temple vandalised in Canada’s Windsor, police launch investigation

The Consulate General of India in Vancouver said in a post on X: “We condemn the defacing of BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in #Edmonton with anti-India graffiti. We have requested the Canadian authorities to investigate the incident and take prompt action against the perpetrators.”

There has been no reaction as yet from the BAPS – the Bochasanwasi Aksharpurushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha, the organisation that runs the temple. Also, there are no reports yet of any official action against the vandalisation that took place on Monday morning.

“Earlier today, the Edmonton BAPS Mandir was vandalised with paint, displaying hateful rhetoric on the walls of what should be a place of refuge. Hate has no part in Canada – much less in places of worship & prayer. This incident is wrong & goes against the values of our city,” said Randy Boissonnault, Member of Parliament /Depute – Edmonton Centre.

A statement from the Canadian Hindu Chamber of Commerce (CHCC), dedicated to promoting the interests of the Hindu business community in Canada, said, “The act of vandalism is not only an attack on a physical structure but also an affront to the sentiments of the Hindu community and the principles of respect and tolerance that our society holds dear.” It condemned the “senseless act of hate” and the “rising tide of Hinduphobia” across Canada and said, “These incidents are deeply troubling and have no place in our multicultural and inclusive society.”

‘Take steps to combat Hinduphobia’

The CHCC urged the Canadian government and local authorities to take immediate and effective measures to combat Hinduphobia and protect religious institutions and communities from such acts of violence and intolerance, the statement said and called for united efforts.

Last year, there were at least three incidents of attacks on Hindu temples, including at Mississauga, Brampton and Windsor, and some saw Khalistani referendum posters with veiled threats to Hindus.

The latest vandalisation in Edmonton also invoked strong reactions from all quarters, including from elected public representatives.

Chandra Arya, a member of Parliament from Nepean in the House of Commons said, “During the last few years, Hindu temples in the Greater Toronto Area, British Columbia and other places in Canada are being vandalised with hateful graffiti. Gurpatwant Singh Pannun of Sikhs for Justice last year publicly called for Hindus to go back to India.”

“Khalistan supporters publicly celebrated in Brampton and Vancouver the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and brandishing images of deadly weapons,” he said in a post on X and added, “As I have always been saying, Khalistani extremists seems to get away with ease with their public rhetoric of hate and violence.”

“Again, let me put it on record. Hindu-Canadians are legitimately concerned. Like a broken record, I again call on Canadian law enforcement agencies to take this issue seriously before these rhetorics get translated into physical action against Hindu-Canadians,” he said.

Another MP, Terry Duguid from Winnipeg South and the Parliamentary Secretary to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a post on X: “I am deeply saddened to learn that the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Edmonton was vandalized today. Defacing a place of worship is a repulsive act that goes against Canadian values of tolerance and respect. This act of hate is completely unacceptable.” “My thoughts are with the community in Edmonton and indeed across Canada. Here in Winnipeg, I have seen firsthand the incredible contributions of the BAPS community. Their dedication to charitable work and community service is truly inspiring,” he added in a post on X.

Meanwhile, the Hindu American Foundation too came out with a strong statement and quoted the Canadian Hindu Chamber of Commerce (CHCC) for confirming that the BAPS temple in Edmonton “was defaced with slurs threatening @AryaCanada, one of a few Hindu Members of the Canadian House of Commons.” “We are outraged by this latest incident that mirrors several previous attacks—many blamed on pro-Khalistan activists. Canadian authorities @RCMPAlberta, @csiscanada must immediately investigate this vandalism of another Hindu temple & implied threat to a sitting MP, and remain vigilant as the upcoming ‘Khalistan referendum’ in Calgary sponsored by Sikhs for Justice carries the potential of more strife in the region,” it added in the post on X.

The Indian flag is seen flying at the High Commission of India in Ottawa, Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2023.
| Photo Credit: AP

A group of eminent Indian-Americans has condemned the brazen hateful comments and a hostile environment against Hindus in Canada and asked Ottawa not to mix freedom of expression with freedom for terror and endorse hate crimes by being silent on the issue.

The demand by Indian-Americans came after an offensive video from a pro-Khalistan group threatening Hindus in Canada to leave the country went viral.

“It is concerning to see Khalistani terrorists repeatedly threaten Hindu Canadians by desecrating and scarring Hindu sacred spaces on Canadian soil. Silence in the face of such brazen Hinduphobia – or worse, the justification that this is an acceptable form of political expression – is tantamount to the endorsement of hate crimes,” said Professor Indu Vishwanathan, co-founder and co-director of the Understanding Hinduphobia at the Hindu University of America.

“The Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau should not mix freedom of expression with freedom for terror. He should instead stop radicalisation, and drug gangs and diplomatically handle international situations,” Khanderao Kand, from the Foundation for India and Indian Diaspora Studies (FIIDS), said in a media statement.

The Khalistani video surfaced days after Trudeau’s allegations on September 18 of the “potential” involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Khalistani extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian citizen, on Canadian soil on June 18 in British Columbia.

India angrily rejected Trudeau’s allegations as “absurd” and “motivated.” Though the Canadian government has said that acts of aggression, hate, intimidation or incitement of fear have no place in Canada, there was no action against anyone in connection with the video.

The chair of government affairs of the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin, Dr Sampath Shivangi appealed to US President Joe Biden and the US Congress to intervene and send a message to Canada to protect Canadian Indians, Hindus and thousands of Indian students from the threats.

On concerns of spilling this hatred over to the US, Chicago-based prominent Indian American leader Bharat Barai said, “I doubt it will spill over. We should keep calm but vigilant. Khalistanis represent a very tiny misled minority, instigated by ISI and involved in drug trafficking, human trafficking and other violent criminal activities.” Chief editor of Khalsa Today Sukhi Chahal separated the hateful radicals from Sikhism and said: “As a Sikh, I firmly believe in the teachings of our Gurus, which emphasise the unity of all humanity.” Statements like the one from Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the chief of the banned outfit Sikhs for Justice, don’t represent true Sikh values. Let’s stand together for harmony and respect among all communities, he said.

On the recent threats to Hindus and Indians, Sri Iyer, editor of the PGurus portal, a US-based media company said: “There is a thin line between freedom of speech and hate speech and Gurpatwant Singh Pannun crossed it when he threatened Hindu Canadians.”