The Press in Brampton | When the party turns violent

(Brampton and Mississauga) Security barriers are stacked behind the Sabha Hindu Temple in Brampton. Contrary to what one might think, they were not used to control the crowd which came to blows on November 3, a few dozen meters away. “It was for Diwali”, an Indian festival celebrated two days before the incident, explains a Sikh worker after switching off the engine of his tractor.

” Oh shit ! Oh shit ! » we hear in a video of the confrontation filmed in front of the place of worship, in the suburbs of Toronto. In the images, which have circulated widely on the internet, we see Sikh attackers crossing the main gate. Some use the stick of a Khalistan flag as a weapon^*this independent state claimed by Sikhs in the Punjab region. A protester hits a man with his bare hands.

A week after the violent incident, during the passage of The Pressan apparent calm reigns at the temple. In the parking lot, security guards from a private firm keep an eye on things. On November 13, we celebrate Tulsi Vivah, a symbolic marriage ceremony between a sacred basil plant and Krishna, the eighth incarnation of the god Vishnu.

We are offered tea and fruit, but no interview. Same thing at the Triveni Hindu temple, where a consular event like the one that set fire to the Sabha temple had to be canceled, providing the “extremely high and imminent threat of violence” as the reason.

“We urge Peel Region Police to address the threats being made against the Triveni Temple and provide assurances to Canada’s Indian community and the general public,” the council said. administration by press release on November 11.

It was then the turn of a Hindu temple in Oakville to cancel such an evening on November 23.

In short, tensions are still brewing in the suburbs of Toronto, among the most multicultural in Canada.

“It’s not the people at the temple that are the problem!” It was because representatives of the Indian consulate came here that it blew up,” says a Sikh man whose backyard overlooks the Sabha temple.

“We are in Canada, in an independent and democratic country. What right does the Indian government have to export problems that have nothing to do with Canada? “, protests Kandiah Vallipuranathan, a resident of the same neighborhood. Of Tamil origin in southern India, he is very critical of the authorities in place in New Delhi.

The “K-terror”

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi quickly described what happened in Brampton as a “deliberate attack”. The national media then increased the number of reports attributing responsibility for the violence to “K-terror” – K as in Khalistan.

Coverage of the counter-protests, on the other hand, has been much more discreet.

Last Sunday, November 3, late in the evening, then the next day, activists favorable to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived near the Sri Guru Singh Sabha Malton Sikh temple (gurdwara). In an interview, the president of the place of worship in front of which Khalistan flags fly, Daljit Singh Sekhon, insists: the provocation did not come from his flock, although they were there to demonstrate.

He claims that demonstrating in front of a place of worship is legitimate. “The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms allows peaceful demonstrations in any place. » He maintains that there are no extremist elements in his temple. “We do everything within the law, and we do not believe in terrorism. »

Sitting in an armchair in his office, he also assures that there is “no animosity” between Sikhs and Hindus, that it is the work of a few agents provocateurs who have little to do with temples and religion. .

India’s diplomatic mission in Toronto – which is without a consul general, the latter having been expelled by the Canadian government in mid-October – persisted and signed by sending a delegation to a Hindu temple in Scarborough on Saturday last. Protesters were there despite a court order, but no violence was reported, according to CBC.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) reports that “the Canadian law enforcement community is aware of planned public gatherings and continues to monitor suspicious activities and threats to public safety.”

The federal police “will continue to support its police partners and provide services that fall within its mandate where it is the competent police service,” it was added. The police forces patrolling the regions concerned did not respond to our emails, nor did the Indian consulate in Toronto.

But already, the president of the Sikh temple Daljit Singh Sekhon is sending this message to representatives of the Modi government: “We will demonstrate wherever they go. »

Between worry and stoicism

Peel Regional Police have already arrested a few individuals, who are facing charges of threats, conspiracy, or even hate speech, in connection with the events in Brampton and Mississauga.

But that doesn’t stop Bramptonians from worrying about the future – and identifying the culprits: increased immigration and crime.

“We have been here for 20 years, and this is not the kind of thing that happened before,” says Ramneek Kaur as she leaves the Dasmesh Darbar Sikh temple, under the approving gaze of her husband, Jasmeet Singh. Canada gave us everything. It saddens me to see what is happening. »

“We are afraid for our family, for our children,” confides Harsimran Toor, seen in the same place.

At the Bramalea shopping center, Asha Young finds it “unfortunate that religious disagreements cross oceans to arrive here.” Born in Canada to Jamaican parents, she struggles to understand this “inadequate” behavior.

“We have worked hard for years to build a safe community. It’s a lack of respect,” regrets the mother, describing the management of immigration by Justin Trudeau’s government as “terrible”.

Maureen does not go out of her way to express her dismay. “This all bothers me. If you want to piss me off, say bad things about Brampton. I will take care of your case,” says the older lady.

Maureen says she’s tired of hearing people complain.

“They say that the city is no longer the same, that this and that has changed… Everything is changing! I’m sorry, but change is everywhere,” she philosophizes.