The Government of India has decided to observe the UK and Canada in light of recent events wherein symbols of Hinduism were vandalised in the UK and the rapid rise of Sikh radicalisation in Canada.
India had taken a strong stance against the violence perpetrated against the Indian community in Leicester and the inaction of the British authorities against the rising Sikh radicalism.
UK and Canada’s reaction to India’s warnings
In Canada, an organisation by the name of “Sikhs for Justice”, which is based out of Brampton, Ontario, has decided to hold a referendum as well. No action has been taken regarding this event. The Government of India sent 3 messages to the Global Affairs Ministry of Canada, asking the Canadian government to stop the referendum and take action against those organising it.
The Government of Canada replied by saying that it respects the territorial integrity and sovereignty of India and does not recognise this so-called referendum. However, they also added that Canadian individuals have a right to assemble to present their views as long as it is peaceful and lawful.
The Canadian response also denounced the recent vandalism of the Swaminarayan Mandir in Brampton, Ontario and has assured the Indian Government that the incident will be investigated by the RCMP(Royal Canadian Mounted Police).
It is clear that the Indian diaspora community has a knack for holding views that are contrary to that of the government, and this is very clear with recent events such as that of Sikh radicalisation.
It is also worth noting that hate crimes against Indians have been on the rise, with rising in hate crimes against other Asian communities as well. See How Violence against Sikh men in New York leads to ripped turbans and injuries ?
