For Immediate Release:
Demonstrators call out growing fascism in India and protest the rise of Hindu Supremacist, groups in Canada |
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Ottawa, ON, August 20, 2023. Over hundred protestors from several cities, including Montreal, the Greater Toronto Area and Ottawa converged in Ottawa to shed light on the urgency of addressing human rights violations in India and combating the rise of Hindutva (Hindu supremacist) extremist ideologies in Canada.
Seventy-six years after independence from British rule, India is increasingly becoming a fascist state under the Hindu ultra-nationalist government headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Protesters marched to stand up against hate and made their voices heard in defence of democracy and support for a pluralistic, multifaith, multiethnic vision of India. They further denounced the prolific growth of Hindutva or Hindu supremacist groups in Canada that are spreading hate in schools, digital platforms, and community forums.
"This rally is more than a demonstration; it's a resolute stand for the rights and dignity of minority communities both in India and Canada. The threat of Hindutva extremism and erosion of democratic principles demand our attention. Today, we've united under shared human rights values and declare that we will not be silent spectators to fascist forces that seek to divide and oppress the most vulnerable." said Taha Ghayyur, Executive Director of Justice For All Canada.
Organized by an alliance of twenty diaspora organizations and diverse community partners from across Canada, the march started at the Human Rights Monument in Ottawa. Giving an opening speech, Chinnaiah Jangam, Associate Professor of History at Carleton University and co-founder of the South Asian Dalit Adivasi Network (SADAN), emphasized the sentiment of the protest: "SADAN stands in solidarity with all the victims of violence orchestrated by the Hindu right-wing forces in India and will firmly stand against hate and fight for the protection of democracy and the constitutional rights of all citizens." Speaking about the situation here in Canada he added, "there is growing violence against Muslims and Dalits in India. Caste supremacy is overtly present in Canadian public life and Dalit and other marginalized communities especially children experience caste-based violence and discrimination in schools and playgrounds. Moreover, Hindu right-wing organizations are posing a serious threat to the multicultural society of Canada.”
The protest demonstrated that the concerns for minority rights and equality extend beyond borders, serving as a reminder that collective action remains essential in safeguarding these values.
According to human rights groups, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, India’s ruling BJP government is responsible for hate speech and discriminatory laws empowering systematic marginalization of minority communities, making way for the emergence of Hindutva groups promoting exclusionary ideologies in India and Canada. As a result, minorities in India are facing unprecedented violence and racism with near impunity from state authorities.
Protestors proceeded to Parliament Hill and then to the Prime Minister’s Office to symbolically deliver a joint letter with over 80 organizational signatories [1]. The letter calls for the Canadian government to take tangible steps to combat hate and stay true to NEVER AGAIN, including:
- Addressing Human Rights Abuses: To acknowledge and condemn the escalating human rights violations, especially the alarming situation in Manipur and other identified regions.
- Publicly Denouncing Rights Breaches: For the Federal government to issue public condemnations of documented human rights violations.
- Strengthening Trade Oversight: To enhance scrutiny and oversight mechanisms in trade agreements with India to ensure human rights are central to any bilateral cooperation, particularly under the Indo-Pacific Strategy.
- Probing RSS-Linked Entities: To investigate and monitor organizations in Canada such as SEWA Canada and Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh that enjoy charitable tax status that have known affiliations or ideological ties with the RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh), the paramilitary organization and ideological parent of the right-wing BJP, assessing their actions under prevailing hate speech laws.
- Investigating Election Meddling: To investigate potential interference by RSS-affiliated entities within Canadian democratic processes.
The protestors also highlighted how India is borrowing the Israeli playbook in its oppressive treatment of the minorities.
In his remarks at the protest, Bruce Katz, Co-President of Palestinian and Jewish Unity (PAJU), underscored the parallels between the struggles for Kashmiri sovereignty and Palestinian self-determination: "The India-Israel alliance is an alliance of institutionalized racism; both states use the alibi of security as justification for their respective illegal occupation. The parallels between the occupation of Kashmir and the occupation of Palestine are glaringly obvious. Both occupations are illegal (not to mention morally reprehensible and politically untenable). PAJU stands in solidarity against Hindutva nationalism and supports Kashmiri sovereignty. Western countries look on in complicit silence. Canada, shamefully, is one of them."
Shivangi Misra, international human rights lawyer and organizer in Ottawa, said “India’s public institutions have been systematically eroded to serve the interests of Hindutva ideology and the far-right. There is a severe lack of accountability and access to justice for the ongoing extreme violence against minorities, the state-led destruction of their homes, dilution of workers’ rights, and for silencing human rights defenders with false cases. People in India need urgent international support and solidarity for the atrocities that minorities, especially Muslims, Dalits, Christians, and women, are facing.”
The organizers concluded with a call to solidarity. “We witnessed an extraordinary unity among individuals, organizations, and communities, all of whom recognize the urgency of confronting the challenges posed by the rise of extremist ideologies," stated Titas Banerjee, spokesperson for SADAC. "The demonstration has served as a platform to amplify our voices against hate and discrimination and we call on Canadian civil society to voice their opposition to hate groups in Canada and support democracy, justice, and equality in India and Canada."
-30-
Source: South Asian Diaspora Action Collective (SADAC) [2]
Live stream: https://www.facebook.com/sadacmtl
Contact: For more information or media inquiries, please contact:
Dr. Chinnaiah Jangam, SADAN - South Asian Dalit Adivasi Network- Canada
[email protected]
(613) 410-5786
Titas Banerjee, South Asian Diaspora Action Collective (SADAC)
[email protected]
514-502-9948
[1] Joint letter can be accessed here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mltW212d52WRFz38FhpgseREDTsshoiU/edit
[2] Co-organised/supported by:
Alternatives International
Canadian Council of Indian Muslims (CCIM)
CERAS (Centre sur l’Asie du sud)
Hindus for Human Rights—Canada
India Civil Watch International
International Council of Indian Muslims (ICIM)
Justice for All Canada
Palestinian and Jewish Unity (PAJU)
People's Health Movement Canada/Mouvement populaire pour la santé au Canada
Pro-People Arts Project Media Group O/A Sarokaran Di Awaz
Progressive Cultural Association Calgary
Punch Up Collective, Ottawa
Punjabi Literary and Cultural Association Winnipeg
Rang Collective
SADAN - South Asian Dalit Adivasi Network- Canada
Solidarity Across Borders / Solidarité sans frontières
South Asian Network for Secularism and Democracy (SANSAD), Vancouver
South Asian Diaspora Action Collective (SADAC)
The Quebec Public Interest Research Group at Concordia University (QPIRG Concordia)
The Quebec Public Interest Research Group (QPIRG) at McGill
Seventy-six years after independence from British rule, India is increasingly becoming a fascist state under the Hindu ultra-nationalist government headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Protesters marched to stand up against hate and made their voices heard in defence of democracy and support for a pluralistic, multifaith, multiethnic vision of India. They further denounced the prolific growth of Hindutva or Hindu supremacist groups in Canada that are spreading hate in schools, digital platforms, and community forums.
"This rally is more than a demonstration; it's a resolute stand for the rights and dignity of minority communities both in India and Canada. The threat of Hindutva extremism and erosion of democratic principles demand our attention. Today, we've united under shared human rights values and declare that we will not be silent spectators to fascist forces that seek to divide and oppress the most vulnerable." said Taha Ghayyur, Executive Director of Justice For All Canada.
Organized by an alliance of twenty diaspora organizations and diverse community partners from across Canada, the march started at the Human Rights Monument in Ottawa. Giving an opening speech, Chinnaiah Jangam, Associate Professor of History at Carleton University and co-founder of the South Asian Dalit Adivasi Network (SADAN), emphasized the sentiment of the protest: "SADAN stands in solidarity with all the victims of violence orchestrated by the Hindu right-wing forces in India and will firmly stand against hate and fight for the protection of democracy and the constitutional rights of all citizens." Speaking about the situation here in Canada he added, "there is growing violence against Muslims and Dalits in India. Caste supremacy is overtly present in Canadian public life and Dalit and other marginalized communities especially children experience caste-based violence and discrimination in schools and playgrounds. Moreover, Hindu right-wing organizations are posing a serious threat to the multicultural society of Canada.”
The protest demonstrated that the concerns for minority rights and equality extend beyond borders, serving as a reminder that collective action remains essential in safeguarding these values.
According to human rights groups, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, India’s ruling BJP government is responsible for hate speech and discriminatory laws empowering systematic marginalization of minority communities, making way for the emergence of Hindutva groups promoting exclusionary ideologies in India and Canada. As a result, minorities in India are facing unprecedented violence and racism with near impunity from state authorities.
Protestors proceeded to Parliament Hill and then to the Prime Minister’s Office to symbolically deliver a joint letter with over 80 organizational signatories [1]. The letter calls for the Canadian government to take tangible steps to combat hate and stay true to NEVER AGAIN, including:
- Addressing Human Rights Abuses: To acknowledge and condemn the escalating human rights violations, especially the alarming situation in Manipur and other identified regions.
- Publicly Denouncing Rights Breaches: For the Federal government to issue public condemnations of documented human rights violations.
- Strengthening Trade Oversight: To enhance scrutiny and oversight mechanisms in trade agreements with India to ensure human rights are central to any bilateral cooperation, particularly under the Indo-Pacific Strategy.
- Probing RSS-Linked Entities: To investigate and monitor organizations in Canada such as SEWA Canada and Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh that enjoy charitable tax status that have known affiliations or ideological ties with the RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh), the paramilitary organization and ideological parent of the right-wing BJP, assessing their actions under prevailing hate speech laws.
- Investigating Election Meddling: To investigate potential interference by RSS-affiliated entities within Canadian democratic processes.
The protestors also highlighted how India is borrowing the Israeli playbook in its oppressive treatment of the minorities.
In his remarks at the protest, Bruce Katz, Co-President of Palestinian and Jewish Unity (PAJU), underscored the parallels between the struggles for Kashmiri sovereignty and Palestinian self-determination: "The India-Israel alliance is an alliance of institutionalized racism; both states use the alibi of security as justification for their respective illegal occupation. The parallels between the occupation of Kashmir and the occupation of Palestine are glaringly obvious. Both occupations are illegal (not to mention morally reprehensible and politically untenable). PAJU stands in solidarity against Hindutva nationalism and supports Kashmiri sovereignty. Western countries look on in complicit silence. Canada, shamefully, is one of them."
Shivangi Misra, international human rights lawyer and organizer in Ottawa, said “India’s public institutions have been systematically eroded to serve the interests of Hindutva ideology and the far-right. There is a severe lack of accountability and access to justice for the ongoing extreme violence against minorities, the state-led destruction of their homes, dilution of workers’ rights, and for silencing human rights defenders with false cases. People in India need urgent international support and solidarity for the atrocities that minorities, especially Muslims, Dalits, Christians, and women, are facing.”
The organizers concluded with a call to solidarity. “We witnessed an extraordinary unity among individuals, organizations, and communities, all of whom recognize the urgency of confronting the challenges posed by the rise of extremist ideologies," stated Titas Banerjee, spokesperson for SADAC. "The demonstration has served as a platform to amplify our voices against hate and discrimination and we call on Canadian civil society to voice their opposition to hate groups in Canada and support democracy, justice, and equality in India and Canada."
-30-
Source: South Asian Diaspora Action Collective (SADAC) [2]
Live stream: https://www.facebook.com/sadacmtl
Contact: For more information or media inquiries, please contact:
Dr. Chinnaiah Jangam, SADAN - South Asian Dalit Adivasi Network- Canada
[email protected]
(613) 410-5786
Titas Banerjee, South Asian Diaspora Action Collective (SADAC)
[email protected]
514-502-9948
[1] Joint letter can be accessed here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mltW212d52WRFz38FhpgseREDTsshoiU/edit
[2] Co-organised/supported by:
Alternatives International
Canadian Council of Indian Muslims (CCIM)
CERAS (Centre sur l’Asie du sud)
Hindus for Human Rights—Canada
India Civil Watch International
International Council of Indian Muslims (ICIM)
Justice for All Canada
Palestinian and Jewish Unity (PAJU)
People's Health Movement Canada/Mouvement populaire pour la santé au Canada
Pro-People Arts Project Media Group O/A Sarokaran Di Awaz
Progressive Cultural Association Calgary
Punch Up Collective, Ottawa
Punjabi Literary and Cultural Association Winnipeg
Rang Collective
SADAN - South Asian Dalit Adivasi Network- Canada
Solidarity Across Borders / Solidarité sans frontières
South Asian Network for Secularism and Democracy (SANSAD), Vancouver
South Asian Diaspora Action Collective (SADAC)
The Quebec Public Interest Research Group at Concordia University (QPIRG Concordia)
The Quebec Public Interest Research Group (QPIRG) at McGill