In the wake of recent violence between Sikh and Hindu communities in the GTA and British Columbia, Greater Sudbury’s Indian community is assuring citizens that no such issues exist here.
The clashes have involved Hindu groups clashing with Sikh separatists.
The violence has further heightened tensions between Ottawa and New Delhi after Canada expelled six Indian diplomats last month when the RCMP flagged them as persons of interest in alleged crimes against Canadians.
A press conference was held at Tom Davies Square Nov. 8 by the India-Canada Association of Sudbury, which has members from many religions, including Hindu, Christian, Muslims and Sikhs.
Representatives of both Greater Sudbury’s Sikh and Hindu communities spoke at the event.
“This community should not have any worries about any issues related to community clashes between the two religions or more religions, and we are happy to be living together in Sudbury, contributing to the Sudbury community,” said Dr. Rayudu Koka, president of the India-Canada Association.
Koka said Greater Sudbury has around 1,000 Hindus and 300 Sikhs living here, plus around 1,000 international students of Indian origin of all religions attending local post-secondary schools.
Karan Badhesha, director of Canadian Khalsa Darbar, one of the Sikh gurdwaras in Greater Sudbury, said it was just last week that the Sikh and Hindu communities were celebrating the holiday of Diwali, attending each other’s events.
“It was proud Indo-Canadians, as well as Canadians from our local communities who came together and to be a part of those ceremonies,” said Badhesha.
“Seeing that, my heart was so full because when I came here nine years ago, this was just a dream to celebrate our Indian, Sikh, Hindu, South Asian festivals at that level that we have seen recently.
“But unfortunately, just a couple of days later, there were some incidents that happened in the GTA. But let's focus on something that unites us, our shared identity as Canadians, and our commitment to living in peace and mutual respect. This is what we are.
“Our diversity is our strength, and we must not allow divisions to overshadow the incredible contribution that all the communities make in our city to make it as a greater city of Sudbury.”
Bela Ravi, who represented the Sudbury Prarthana Samaj Hindu temple at the press conference, said the Indian community is one here in Greater Sudbury.
“We are not Hindus, we are not Sikhs, we are not Muslims, we are all one,” she said, adding that she’s also a proud Canadian who’s been here for 51 years. “We are united together in whatever we do in our community, and we want to convey that message, we participate in each other's events. We celebrate holidays together.”
Ward 5 Coun. Mike Parent gave some remarks on the matter on behalf of Greater Sudbury’s mayor and council.
“We know that this week has been difficult with a series of incidents targeting the Indian community across southern Ontario and beyond,” he said. “This is Canada, and in Canada, we value love, we value respect, and we value being considerate for each other. These acts of hate and intolerance and division have no place in our city, in our province or in our country.”
Parent expressed respect for the Indian community’s “resilience, courage and unity during these challenging times.
“The City of Greater Sudbury stands firmly against hate and discrimination in all forms,” he added.
-With files from Canadian Press
Heidi Ulrichsen is Sudbury.com’s assistant editor.