New Delhi: Indians in Canada's Brampton are incensed by anti-India graffiti that has been left on a renowned Hindu temple. The Indian consulate general in Toronto condemned the vandalism at Gauri Shankar Mandir and stated that it has greatly wounded the feelings of the Indian community in Canada.
“The hateful act of vandalism has deeply hurt sentiments of the Indian community in Canada. We’ve raised our concerns on the matter with Canadian authorities,” the consulate office said. With hateful comments directed at India, the temple has been vandalised. The issue is being looked into by the Canadian authorities. At least three comparable incidents of vandalism have been reported in Canada since last July, proving that the destruction of the Hindu temple in Brampton is not a unique incident.
Last September, the Indian foreign ministry had issued a strongly worded statement, saying there has been a “sharp increase” in hate crimes against Indians and other “anti India activities” in Canada. New Delhi had urged the Canadian government to properly probe the incidents.
The national statistical office of Canada, Statistics Canada, has noted a 72% rise in hate crimes in Canada between 2019 and 2021 that target a person's race, religion, or sexual orientation. Minority communities have become fearful as a result, notably the Indian community, which makes up about 4% of the population of Canada and is the fastest-growing demographic.