Minority Communities in Alberta Face Hostility As They Seek to Organise and Advocate

Calgary and Edmonton, October 11: Immigrant heavy communities often struggle to understand their rights and how to advocate for themselves, which is why the Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA) Canada, hosted meetings in Alberta to discuss key issues facing its Hindu residents. The sold-out events received overwhelming praise and engagement from attendees for addressing this gap. Unfortunately, they also faced significant hostility, with attempts to disrupt the proceedings from aggressive Khalistani groups determined to impede Canadian Hindu advocacy efforts. 

In both Calgary and Edmonton, CoHNA had to deal with attempts to intimidate attendees and discourage speakers via on-site demonstrations. Hinduphobic groups sought to block entrances, raise threatening slogans on loudspeakers, and refused to vacate private property despite requests from venue managers and owners. The demonstrators displayed large posters calling for violence against state heads as well as hateful imagery depicting MP Chandra Arya. The heightening tensions created a situation where CoHNA had to request law enforcement to ensure the safety of organisers and attendees.

The Edmonton event even saw the misuse of press privileges. A local radio host, Gursharan Buttar and others, registered as “press” to enter the meeting, but unfortunately misused their access to disrupt the proceedings. Instead of merely covering the event, they attempted to intimidate, questioning the political rights of Alberta Hindus to even meet and organise such events. The situation was made even more bizarre as the protestors waved US flags on Canadian soil while, also levelling tropes of dual loyalty at speakers and organisers of Indian descent, a time-tested way of silencing minorities who seek to assert their rights.

Alarmingly, Buttar even pointed toward a nearby Hindu temple in a menacing tone, threatening that such events could harm “community peace”. When community members attempted to engage with him, Buttar and his followers walked out of the event, disrupting the decorum of the civil engagement.

The immense political pressure prior to the events, led to cancellation from at least three City councillors and Alberta’s Premier Danielle Smith. Alberta’s Minister of Immigration and Multiculturalism, Mohammad Yaseen, unable to join the event personally, sent his Parliamentary Secretary to convey his support and apologies and to reinforce the importance of such initiatives. 

Speakers Highlight Need for Greater Engagement by Canadian Hindus 

Member of Parliament Chandra Arya emphasised that one does not need to be Hindu lawmaker to talk about Hindu issues. Many times a lawmaker may speak about an issue because of “advocacy” efforts from that community. “We are not active politically”, Arya added. “We do not express our frustrations and concerns through the ballot box. You have to let lawmakers know that you exist. Politicians need to know that they will pay the price if they don’t stand with your community.”

Speaking about her multicultural background and childhood experiences of racism, Alberta’s former Minister of Culture, Multiculturalism and Status of Women Leela Sharon Aheer urged members of the Hindu community to become more publicly engaged and actively share their culture with other Canadians. “This is your country. There is no need to self-censor,” she said, drawing attention to the abysmal electoral participation of the Hindu community across all levels of government – city, provincial and federal, as well as school boards.

Edmonton City Councillor from Sspomitapi ward Jo-Anne Wright highlighted Edmonton city council’s anti-racism strategy, and encouraged the community to take advantage of different programs. Assuring them of the city council’s support, she added, “today, I am starting to understand that there is hesitancy within the Hindu community to bring those concerns forward. But please be assured that that’s what we are here for – to hear those concerns.” Notably, Wright observed that the disruptive tactics employed outside the Edmonton venue, including amplified speakers and attempts to block free entry to the events, may violate city bylaws.

Author and podcaster Kushal Mehra pointed out that being a good Hindu is synonymous with being a good Canadian. He emphasised the critical need for Canadian Hindus to engage more with community issues and to ask relevant questions to lawmakers – city, provincial and federal. “Good questions are a sign of a thinking community”, he said. 

CoHNA Canada Expanding to Meet Advocacy Gap

CoHNA Canada Vice-President Jay Mehta encouraged the Canadian Hindus to view these events as the beginning of their advocacy journey. “We saw an overwhelming response from the community and commitment from attendees who refused to be intimidated. The presence of protesters itself underscored the need for strong Hindu advocacy in Alberta,” he noted.

CoHNA’s mission is focussed on education and advocacy for Hindus in Canada and we are proud to announce our expansion into Quebec and Alberta, with chapters focussed on local issues. “We plan to continue growing across Canada in 2025. Our work is more critical than ever, and as we broaden our reach, we invite everyone—across communities and provinces—to join us in our efforts to ensure safe spaces for dialogue and advocacy for Hindu Canadians,” said CoHNA Canada President Rishabh Sarswat.