Hindu-Sikh forum members protest Canada temple attack

Members of the Hindu Sikh Global Forum gathered outside the Canadian High Commission in New Delhi on Sunday and staged a protest against an attack on a Hindu Temple in Brampton, Canada.

In response to the anticipated protests, security was heightened at the High Commission in Chanakyapuri, with the Delhi Police deploying additional personnel and erecting layers of barricades. The forum, representing a coalition of Hindu and Sikh communities, demanded an immediate investigation and swift action against those responsible for the incident.

The protest was addressed by Prof Harjinder Kaur, Brigadier PS Gothra (retd), Sardar Tajinder Singh Marwah, Sardar Jitender Singh Santi, Sardar Charanjit Lovely, Prof Pavandeep Singh Khalsa and IPS Gurudev Singh (retd), among others.

The protesters also clashed with the police, toppling barricades while raising slogans like, “Hindus and Sikhs are united”, and “Indians will not tolerate the insult of temples in Canada”.

The protest was a reaction to the November 4 incident at Brampton’s Hindu Sabha Mandir, where Khalistani supporters allegedly attacked devotees during a consular camp.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had condemned the assault, describing it as a “deliberate attack” and “cowardly attempt” to intimidate Indian officials.

‘A True Sikh can never be a Khalistani’

We are here to tell you that we are all together. A true Sikh can never be a Khalistani. If they want a separate nation, they should keep it limited to themselves. We want our Tricolour and our country to be respected at all times. India’s Sikhs do not support Khalistan. — Tarvinder Singh Marwah, president, Hindu Sikh Global Forum

In the memorandum submitted to the Ambassador, the protesters condemned the violence near the Canada temple. The memorandum expressed concern over separatist elements “causing division in Canada for covert purposes”, and condemned their alleged role in the incident. The protesters urged the Canadian Government to take immediate action to address these concerns and ensure the safety of minority communities.

Forum president Tarvinder Singh Marwah said, “An entire generation was destroyed during militancy. They were either killed or they migrated to other countries. Then they introduced drugs to ruin the life of our young generation. When they saw Punjab was thriving, they started religious conversions. And now this new thing of attacking temples has started. This is wrong and unfortunate. We are here to tell you that we are all together. A true Sikh can never be a Khalistani. If they want a separate nation, they should keep it limited to themselves. We want our Tricolour and our country to be respected at all times. India’s Sikhs stand with India and do not support Khalistan.”

The Brampton incident led to significant demonstrations, including one outside the temple itself and another in Mississauga.

Among the fallout was the suspension of Canadian police officer Harinder Sohi, who reportedly joined a pro-Khalistan protest where anti-India slogans were raised.