HinduPACT

Category: Canada

  • Press Release: Toronto District School Board Must Reject Proposed Addition of ‘Caste’ to its Anti-Discriminatory Policy

    Press Release: Toronto District School Board Must Reject Proposed Addition of ‘Caste’ to its Anti-Discriminatory Policy

     

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    March 6, 2023

     

    WASHINGTON, D.C – HinduPACT implores the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) to reject a motion to add “Caste” to its anti-discriminatory policy. On March 8th, as Hindus around the world celebrate Holi – the biggest festival in Hinduism – the TDSB is set to vote on this discriminatory motion. 

    This proposed legislation sets a dangerous precedent for Hindus everywhere, and it follows a recent racist Caste ordinance that was passed by the Seattle City Council on February 21st that includes “caste” as a specific category as prejudice. This is a direct violation of the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause. While Seattle’s Caste ordinance is perilous, Wednesday’s vote in Toronto is even more dangerous because it is not just a resolution but an actual piece of legislation.

    Ajay Shah, Convenor of HinduPACT, 

    HinduPACT believes that the addition of “Caste” to the anti-discriminatory policy will lead to the further stigmatization of the Hindu diaspora and communities throughout North America and the perpetuation of stereotypes that are both false and harmful. 

     

    Tejal Shah, Convenor of the Hindu Mandir Executives’ Conference (HMEC) and Jt. General Secretary of the World Hindu Council of America (VHPA),

    Recent vandalism of Hindu temples in North America, and the caste resolutions such as these further an agenda of Hinduphobia.  Toronto Districe School Board has an opportunity to reject this caste motion and take a stand against discrimination and violence against Hindus 

    It is crucial to note that “Caste” is a colonial construct that was imposed upon Hindus by the British during their colonial rule over India. The word “caste” traces its lineage to Portuguese and Spanish and was invented and used as a tool of racial discrimination against converted Jews and to maintain racial and genetic purity of Spanish and Portuguese Christians. There is no reference to the concept of “caste” in any of the religious or philosophical teachings that originated from the Indian subcontinent.

    HinduPACT urges the TDSB to reject this motion and to uphold the principles of equality and justice for all. We call upon all Hindus and allies to stand with us in opposition to this harmful legislation.

  • Press Release: BAPS Toronto Mandir Vandalism: HinduPACT Calls for Authorities to Stop Pakistan-Backed Khalistani Targeting of Hindus Across North America

    Press Release: BAPS Toronto Mandir Vandalism: HinduPACT Calls for Authorities to Stop Pakistan-Backed Khalistani Targeting of Hindus Across North America

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    September 16, 2022

    WASHINGTON, D.C – A series of strategically targeted attacks against Hindus across North America, several of which were carried out by Pakistan-backed Khalistani extremists, is raising questions about whether enough is being done to address the alarming rise in anti-Hindu attacks by law enforcement. 

    On Wednesday evening, Khalistani extremists vandalized and defaced the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Toronto spray painting saffron-colored profanities on the temple’s entrance including “Hindustan murdabad” which translates to “death to India” and “Khalistan zindabad” which translates to “long live Khalistan.” Khalistan is a made up name for a non-existent nation idealized by Pakistani-backed Sikh obscurantists who wish to separate a part of Northern India into a nation by that name. It is important to note that the Khalistani narrative finds little to no support among Sikhs in India and elsewhere.

    This incident follows a similar one last month where a Khalistani nationalist began berating a Hindu man in a California Taco Bell based on his dietary preferences and his choice of attire. 

    Tejal Shah, Director of the VHPA’s Hindu Mandir Executive Conference (HMEC), said

    “HMEC strongly condemns the defacing and vandalization of the BAPS mandir or any mandir. This is a shameful act of Hinduphobia, a hate crime and blatantly anti-India activity. We are looking for full scrutiny and strict actions from the government of Canada and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in addressing this unacceptable crime. This weekend, leaders of dozens of Hindu mandirs are gathering in Cincinnati, OH to discuss the safety and security of Hindu temples in North America and how mandirs can actively engage the local communities and law enforcement to provide enhanced security to mandirs and prevent such attacks in future.”

    The Hudson Institute recently published a study on Kashmir and Khalistani movements in the United States titled, “Pakistan’s Destabilization Playbook: Khalistan Separatist Activism Within the US.”

    Highlighting the Hudson Institute study, HinduPACT’s Executive Director Utsav Chakrabarti said,

    “This hate campaign is similar to the kind of hate that emerged in Khalistanis in the early 80s. It took very little time for the Khalistanis to go from hate speech to terrorist attacks. One such attack in 1985 led to the murder of 351 innocent people, the largest terror attack in Canadian history. It is important that the Justice Department and anti-terror agencies in Canada and the US realize this,” he added.

    Ajay Shah, President of World Hindu Council of America and Convenor of HinduPACT while codeming this attack on the Hindu Mandir said,

    “This incident comes just a few weeks after the vandalism at the Mandir in Queens, NY where a statue of Gandhi was twice vandalized. We strongly believe that these increased incidents of vandalism are directly correlated with the vitriol unleashed by Hindu-hating groups such as Hindus for Human Rights that have specifically targeted BAPS. It is disappointing to see that in addition to increased attacks on Mandirs, systemic Hinduphobia is growing in every sphere of North American Hindu life and is well documented.” Shah further added, “In Canada, we have seen the Prime Minister denigrate the sacred Hindu symbol the Swastika, giving Hindu haters more ammunitIon to attack them. On the other side of the border, in America, President Joe Biden and the White House failed to invite even one Hindu representative to their interfaith meeting titled “United We Stand” which was held on September 15.”

     

  • HinduPACT Statement on Canadian PM Trudeau’s Swastika Statement on WION

    HinduPACT Statement on Canadian PM Trudeau’s Swastika Statement on WION

  • HinduPACT Demands PM Trudeau Respect Canadians’ Right to Dissent, Must Refrain from Comparing Nazi Hakenkreuz to Peaceful Swastika to Prevent Targeting of Hindus

    HinduPACT Demands PM Trudeau Respect Canadians’ Right to Dissent, Must Refrain from Comparing Nazi Hakenkreuz to Peaceful Swastika to Prevent Targeting of Hindus

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    February 15, 2022

    WASHINGTON, D.C – Hindu Policy Research and Advocacy Collective (HinduPACT) stands with the people of Canada during these trying times and urges Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to respect the rights of the Canadian people to peacefully protest. The right to peaceful protest is fundamental in any democracy and the promulgation of an Emergency Order to quell the voices of dissent sets, for the first time, a tragic precedent for Canada.

    HinduPACT Executive Director Utsav Chakrabarti said,

    “I would be remiss if I didn’t start by recognizing the news coming out of Canada about the protests and the Draconian measures being taken to counter them. The situation is concerning, and we are all very worried about our family and friends.”

    HinduPACT also urges Prime Minister Trudeau and New Democratic Party (NDP) leader Jagmeet Singh not to conflate the ‘Swastika’, an ancient and auspicious symbol for Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs and many indigenous communities around the world, with the ‘Hakenkreuz’, a 20th century Nazi symbol of hate. Both Trudeau and Jagmeet Singh have made statements in the recent past, accusing protesters of “waving Swastikas”.

    We believe this misrepresentation will lead to hate crimes against Hindus and Sikhs. In the past month alone, six Hindu temples were vandalized and looted in Canada. A prominent member of the Canadian Hindu community and a recipient of the Order of Canada, Aditya Jha while speaking to HinduPACT said,

    “I appreciate the gravitas of Indian leadership, that they have stayed away from commenting on protests by truckers in Canada. In contrast, PM Justin Trudeau has behaved immaturely by constantly commenting on protests in India, with very little knowledge and understanding”.

    Speaking about NDP leader Jagmeet Singh, Jha added: 

    “He is openly supportive of Khalistani extremists, makes alliances with radical Islamists, and is a politician who wants to be in India, but accidentally ended up in Canada. He doesn’t know much about the Sikh Panth either. But the problem today is that politics has become so shallow that any well-spoken minority is given a platform as long as they can speak good English.”

  • HinduPACT Calls for Cancellation of Hinduphobic Conference in Toronto

    HinduPACT Calls for Cancellation of Hinduphobic Conference in Toronto

    The Hindu community of Canada has recently become aware that the Ryerson University and the Toronto Public Library have joined hands in holding an event on December 9, titled “Modi’s India: How Hindu Nationalism has Eroded the World’s Largest Democracy”

    We are deeply alarmed at this attempt by two publicly funded institutions in Canada to allow their platform to be used to spread a false and concocted narrative about the vibrant democracy of India, a country with which a vast majority of the Hindu Canadians have deep emotional ties. This is nothing short of an attempt to promote a hateful and denigrating narrative against the Hindu community in the guise of sanctimonious pontification on India’s democracy.

    The Hindu Canadians are a peaceful community, living in harmony with the society at large and making outsized contributions to all facets of Canadian life.

    However, they are extremely concerned that such a malicious event, if allowed to go forward, will promote an atmosphere of hatred against them, and as such, represents a potential risk to their material and physical well-being. The Indophobia and Hinduphobia created by events such as this have led to bullying against Hindu and Indians in schools and colleges and physical violence against Indians and Hindus in North America as evident by violent gangs like Dotbusters in the 1980s and recent attack on a Hindu man of Indian origin in Kansas, USA

    We, therefore, demand that:

    1. This event must be cancelled immediately.

    2. Ryerson University and Toronto Public Library issue an immediate apology to the Hindu community for the anguish caused by this blatantly Hinduphobic event

    3. The University and the Library set up a program to train their employees and students to understand India, Hindu Dharma and Hindu culture to make them more religio-culturally sensitive.

    Please Sign the Petition to Demand that this Event be Cancelled

    Please 

  • HinduPhobia (Hindudvesha) Conference Series Set to Take Place During Hindu Heritage Month

    HinduPhobia (Hindudvesha) Conference Series Set to Take Place During Hindu Heritage Month

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    October 13, 2021

    HinduPhobia (Hindudvesha) Conference Series Set to Take Place During Hindu Heritage Month

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — The “Hindu Dharma, Hindutva and Hindudvesha” conference series kicks off this weekend in coordination with and in celebration of Hindu Heritage Month. The virtual conference will showcase the diversity of views within the Hindu world, feature friends of the Hindu community, and address a troubling trend of anti-Hindu sentiment (Hindudvesha or Hinduphobia) which has more recently plagued the Hindu diaspora in the United States, Canada and other parts of the world.

    This conference is organized by American Hindus Against Defamation (AHAD) an initiative of the World Hindu Council of America (VHPA) and Dharma Civilization Foundation (DCF). The conference will begin on Saturday, October 16, 2021, from 11AM-1PM and will help attendees understand the true nature and meaning of Hindu Dharma and Hindutva.  The second day of the conference will take place on Sunday, October 17, between 11AM-1PM EST and will focus on Hindu dharma (religion and culture) and the Hindutva Movement and Christianity, Race and the Hindu World. The entire conference will take place on every consecutive Saturday and Sunday over the course of four weeks.

    “Hindudvesha is a global phenomenon, stemming from a disdain for Hindu practices and traditions,” explained HinduPACT Executive Director Utsav Chakrabarti. “It is now becoming increasingly visible in the public square and in academia as Hindu communities around the world decolonize and express themselves. Our effort is to understand, analyze and counter it in an informed manner.”

    In a joint statement, Kalyan Viswanathan, President of the Hindu University of America and VHPA Vice President Dr. Jai Bansal said: “Hindus are a deeply spiritual and peace-loving community. At one billion strong globally and roughly four million in the US, they represent a growing immigrant minority community in the United States. Historically, Hindus have never invaded, conquered, or enslaved others nor confiscated land or property. On the contrary, Hindus have repeatedly been victims of colonization and invasions. Perhaps their greatest characteristic is that they live and let live. At the core of Hindu dharma is a certain foundational embrace of plurality which honors diversity and fosters co-existence. Unfortunately, as they are being repeatedly and increasingly maligned in unprecedented ways, it is important that Hindus speak up to set the record straight to contest the lies and misinformation circulated by those seeking to undermine them.”

    Convenor of AHAD and HinduPACT Ajay Shah said, “Hindu hate is either due to ignorance of Hindu dharma or hatred towards it.  Attacks on Hindutva, or essence of Hindu dharma is a new weapon of choice for those who are against the universal ideals of freedom and peace espoused by the Hindu dharma.  This conference is an opportunity for those who seek to learn about Hindu dharma and the drivers for Hindu hatred.”

    To register for the conference, click here.

    For media inquiries, contact adelle.nazarian@hindupact.org

  • Sign HMEC Letter Against Dismantling Global Hindutva Conference

    Sign HMEC Letter Against Dismantling Global Hindutva Conference

    HMEC Letter to the Sponsor Universities Requesting that they Disavow Dismantling Global Hindutva Event

    Namaste,

    On behalf of Hindu Mandir Executives’ Conference (HMEC) we would like to draw your attention to an online seminar that is being sponsored by dozens of Universities across the US. The event titled “Dismantling Global Hindutva (Hinduness)” is timed to happen from September 10-12. Many of the organizers are neither Hindus nor of Indian origin.

    Hindutva is Hindu + Tattva, or essence of Hindu dharma.  It is a manifestation of Hindu dharma in our daily lives inspiring us to reach out in compassion to all creatures beyond our individual selves.  There is, however, a concerted effort to malign this term and under its  guise to attack Hindus.   For example, the previous attempt in this series was, “Holi Against Hindutva” on campuses two years ago.  The same group is already contemplating, “Diwali Against Hindutva”.

    This attack on Hindutva is along the lines of various attempts to divide American Hindus based on “caste”.  You may recall that in the previous HMEC meeting, we discussed:

    1. “Caste as a Protected Class,” resolution in Santa Clara County, California, and
    1. Unfounded allegations of caste based discrimination against BAPS Robbinsville, NJ mandir. As the campuses have become more Hinduphobic, we have seen an increase in bullying and racist attacks on American Hindus and Indian immigrant youth.

    It is shocking that the “Dismantling Global Hindutva” event is supposedly sponsored by forty-five Universities and/or various departments or institutes within these universities.  The Universities are supposed to be space spaces for Hindu youth.  However, there is no question that this conference will make it much less safe for them.

    As a mandir, you play a pivotal role in the society.  You are the center of our community activities.  Due to the First Amendment to the US constitution, this Hinduphobic conference will probably take place as planned. We believe that the Mandirs under the banner of HMEC will be able to diminish the impact of this conference by asking the universities, their departments and their institutions to disavow this conference.

    We therefore have two requests for you:

    1. Please sign this collective letter on behalf of your temple or as a temple leader.  The letter is available at: https://hmec.info/hmecletter
    2. We have a list of Universities and Departments who are co-sponsoring this event. Reach out to the University nearest to you.  Help them understand the gravity of the damage this event will cause and dissuade them from co-sponsoring the event.

    We look forward to working with you to do outreach to the co-host University nearest to you.
    You can reach us at tejal.shah@vhp-america.org at call Ajay Shah at 858-866-9661

    Thanking you in advance,

    Tejal Shah
    Jt. General Secretary

    Convenor, Hindu Mandir Executives’ Conference

    World Hindu Council of America (VHPA)

    On behalf of Hindu Mandir Executives’ Conference (HMEC), representing more than  600 temples and religious institutions across USA and Canada, we, the undersigned, demand that your University disavow the event titled “Dismantling Global Hindutva (Hinduness)”.

     

    The word Hindutva translates -as Hindu + Tattva, or essence of Hindu dharma.  It is a manifestation of Hindu dharma in our daily lives inspiring us to reach out in compassion to all creatures beyond our individual selves.  There is, however, a concerted effort to malign this term and under its guise to attack Hindus.

     

    The word Hindutva, as defined by the Supreme Court of India (Ramesh Yeshwant Prabhoo case [1996 SCC (1) 130]) means:

    “The words ‘Hinduism’ or ‘Hindutva’ are not necessarily to be understood and construed narrowly, confined only to the strict Hindu religious practices unrelated to the culture and ethos of the people of India, depicting the way of life of the Indian people.”

    […]

    “Considering the terms ‘Hinduism’ or ‘Hindutva’ per se as depicting hostility, enmity or intolerance towards other religious faiths or professing communalism, proceeds from an improper appreciation and perception of the true meaning of these expressions emerging from the detailed discussion in earlier judgments of this court. Misuse of these expressions to promote communalism cannot alter the true meaning of these terms. The mischief resulting from the misuse of the terms by anyone in his speech has to be checked and not its permissible use.”

    It is shocking that the “Dismantling Global Hindutva” event is being co-sponsored by your university or a department or institute within your university.  It is important to note that many of the organizers have expressed virulent anti-Hindu views in the past.   A reasonable conclusion, therefore, is that this conference intends to further their Hinduphobic views.

     

    The universities are supposed to be safe spaces for Hindu Youth and youth of any religious persuasion or no religious affiliation at all.  However, there is no question that this conference will make American Hindu students and Indian immigrants much more susceptible to violent racism. Considering increased violence against American Hindus and Indian immigrants in the US, there is an increased need to bring about harmony among Americans belonging to various faiths and ethnicities. This conference in contrast, promotes anti-Hindu hatred, with a clear objective to vilify Indian immigrants who do not subscribe to the theological and ideological bent of the hosts and their backers.

     

    We expect that your institution will immediately disassociate itself from this event and reassure the Hindu students, faculty and staff that your institution is a safe space for all religious minorities.

    HMEC Mandir / Hindu Organizations Dismantling Global Hindutva Letter
    Letter to the Universities Supposedly Co-Sponsoring Dismantling Global Hindutva Conference Asking them to Disavow the Event

  • Dr. Jai Bansal Interviewed by TAG TV on “Curbing Hinduphobia in U.S., Canada, EU and Worldwide (Hindudvesha)-Dr Jai Bansal with Haleema Sadia”